May 1, 2011

Box Score

BERKELEY -

Senior left fielder Austin Booker hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring junior shortstop Marcus Semien and giving the No. 20-ranked California a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Oregon Sunday afternoon (May 1) at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears, who had trailed 4-0 after the first two innings but was able to score four runs in the last three innings to improve to 26-14 overall and 11-7 in the Pac-10, ended up capturing the series two games to one after winning 2-1 on Friday and losing 4-3 on Saturday. The Ducks dropped to 22-20 and 5-10 in league play.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Semien doubled down the third base line off Oregon reliever Scott McGough (1-6, 1.0 inning, two hits, one run, one strikeout). McGough was then able to get freshman pinch hitter Michael Theofanopoulos to left field before yielding the game-winning single to Booker. Semien's slide at home plate barely beat UO left fielder Marcus Piazzisi's throw from left field.

The winning pitcher for the Bears was junior right-hander Matt Flemer (2-2), who threw the top of the ninth inning. With the score tied, 4-4, the Duck's Jack Marder reached first on Semien's fielding error, but Flemer was able to double up the next batter when pinch hitter Aaron Payne bunted back to the mound and Flemer turned a 1-6-3 double play. Flemer then knocked down a Shawn Peterson line drive back up the box to get out of the inning.

An exciting play in the bottom of the eighth inning had enabled Cal to tie the game. After sophomore second baseman Tony Renda had started the inning with a single and was advanced to second on a Danny Oh bunt, junior catcher Chadd Krist hit a line-drive that bounced off the back of Duck pitcher Christian Jones and was nearly caught by UO second baseman Danny Pulfer. Pulfer's attempt to throw Krist out at first was wild, allowing Renda to score the tying run.

Oregon had scored three runs in the top of the first inning off Bear junior right-hander Dixon Anderson on a two-run double by Ryon Healy and an RBI single by Brett Thomas. The Ducks added another run in the second inning on Healy's RBI single up the middle.

But that was all of Oregon's scoring as Cal had brought in senior right-hander Kevin Miller in the second inning and Miller proceeded to throw 6.2 innings with five hits, no runs, no walks and five strikeouts. Duck right-hander Alex Keudell had thrown well (7.0 innings, eight hits, three runs, no walks, three strikeouts) before being replaced in the eighth inning.

Down 4-0, the Bears had scored a run in the fourth inning on sophomore first baseman Devon Rodriguez's RBI double, and added two runs in the seventh inning on an RBI ground out by freshman center fielder Louie Lechich and an RBI single up the middle by Booker.

"This was a big series win for us," said Cal coach David Esquer. "Every game was hard fought for us, but this is the time of the year when wins come hard. It was great to see that we had different people step up for us in each of the contests."

Cal will next play at Santa Clara, Tuesday, May 3 at 6 p.m. at Schott Stadium in Santa Clara, before traveling to Oregon State for a three-game Pac-10 series, beginning Friday, May 6 at 5:35 p.m. at Goss Stadium in Corvallis.