May 5, 2012

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Box Score

PULLMAN, WASH. -

Senior center fielder Chad Bunting hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning and senior right-hander Matt Flemer earned his seventh win of the season as Cal defeated Washington State, 9-4, Saturday night (May 5) at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman, Wash. The Golden Bears snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 24-19 and 8-12 in the Pac-12, and evened the series with the Cougars at one game apiece. Cal had fallen to WSU, 10-4, on Friday.

Flemer improved his record to 7-3 by throwing 6.0 innings with eight hits, four runs, three walks and four strikeouts. Sophomore left-hander Kyle Porter relieved Flemer in the seventh inning and went 1.2 innings (three hits, one walk), getting out of a bases loaded jam by forcing pinch hitter Stetson Olson to pop up to first base. Senior right-hander Joey Donofrio was outstanding in wrapping up the game, pitching the 1.1 innings with no hits, no runs and three strikeouts.

At the plate, the Bears were led by junior second baseman Tony Renda, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Renda is now 5-for-8 with three doubles in the series, raising his season average to .383. Junior first baseman Mitch Delfino was 3-for-5 with two RBI and is now hitting .367, while sophomore third baseman Mike Reuvekamp went 2-for-2 with an RBI and freshman shortstop Brenden Farney was 2-for-3. Cal out-hit the Cougars, 14-11.

"It was another solid effort from Matt Flemer tonight," said Cal coach David Esquer. "I'm glad we finally gave him some run support. Tony Renda had a great day at the plate and Chad Bunting's home run gave us the separation we needed."

The Bears scored a run in the first inning when Renda had a two-out double off of WSU starter Joe Pistorese (2-3, 4.2 innings, seven hits, three runs, three strikeouts) and scored on Delfino's single to left field. The Cougars tied the game with a run in the bottom of the first off of Flemer, but Cal exploded for four runs in the top of the fifth inning.

In the fifth, senior left fielder Danny Oh led-off with a triple and scored on Reuvekamp's sacrifice fly to right field. Farney later scored on sophomore right fielder Andrew Knapp's RBI double down the left field line and Knapp scored on Renda's RBI single to right field. Finally, Delfino doubled home Renda with a shot down the right field line.

Krist added a run for the Bears in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, and then Bunting gave Cal a cushion with his three-run homer in the seventh inning after back-to-back walks to Renda and junior designated hitter Vince Bruno. It was Bunting's team-leading ninth home run of the year.

Cal next plays WSU in the third game of the three-game Pac-12 series, Sunday, May 6 at 12 p.m. at Bailey-Brayton Field. KNEW 960 AM, part of the IMG Sports Network, and Cal's student radio, KALX 90.7 FM, will be broadcasting all of the weekend's contests.