Feb. 26, 2000

Box Score

BERKELEY, CA - The California baseball team (5-9) lost to No. 2 ranked Stanford (10-4), 4-1, Saturday in the second game of a three-game non-conference series at Evans Diamond. For the second day in a row, the Cardinal pitching staff showed its dominance as sophomore right-hander Brian Sager (2-1) limited Cal to one hit while pitching 6.0 innings with one run, one walk and four strikeouts. On Friday, Stanford only gave up four hits in a 6-2 win.

Saturday's game was scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when the Cardinal scored three runs off of Bear starter Brad Steele (2-3, 7.0 innings, four runs, one walk, four strikeouts). Eric Bruntlett led off the fourth with a home run to right field, followed by an Edmund Muth single up the middle. Muth then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by Cal catcher Mike Tonis. Muth ended up scoring on a Steele wild pitch. Later in the inning with two outs, Damien Alvarado hit a solo home run to right to make the score, 3-0. Stanford added an insurance run in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Joe Borchard.

The Bears finally got their first hit of the game in the seventh inning when senior second baseman Tommy Callen hit a double off of Sager. Sager then hit both Xavier Nady and Mike Tonis to load the bases. Cardinal reliever Mike Gosling replaced Sager, and after striking out Derek Ayres, gave up a sacrifice fly to center to Sam Petke, scoring Callen. That was all the damage the Bears were able to muster as Gosling went on to earn his second save of the season (3.0 innings, no hits, no runs, one walk, four strikeouts).

Cal coach David Esquer was facing his former coach Mark Marquess. Esquer had played shortstop at Stanford from 1984-87 and was an assistant under Marquess from 1991-96.

The Bears will next play the third game of the three-game series against Stanford, Sunday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. at Evans Diamond.

Home Runs:

Stanford: Bruntlett, solo home run in the fourth. Alvarado, solo home run in the fourth.

Cal: None.