Feb. 20, 2009

Box Score

BERKELEY, CALIF. - Freshman Danny Oh hit a pinch hit two-run homer in his first collegiate at-bat to help propel Cal baseball to a 8-7 win over UC Riverside in the 2009 season-opener Friday at Evans Diamond. Oh, from Mill Creek, Wash., hit his two-run shot to right field off of UCR right-hander Kevin Dickey (0-1, 0.2 inning, four hits, two runs), to give the Golden Bears an 8-6 advantage in Cal's four-run seventh inning. UC Riverside came back with a run in the top of the eighth inning to get within one run, but freshman reliever Erik Johnson was able to strikeout Trevor Hairgrove for the final out of the eighth and then got the Highlanders out in order in the ninth inning for his first collegiate save.

The winning pitcher for the Bears was sophomore right-hander Yasser Clor, who relieved starter Kevin Miller in the sixth inning and threw 2.2 innings with two hits, one run and two walks to earn his first collegiate victory.

The game was a back and forth affair with the two teams combining for five home runs. UC Riverside scored two runs in the top of the first inning off of Cal sophomore right-hander Kevin Miller (5.0 innings, nine hits, six runs, four earned runs, one walk, four strikeouts), but the Bears came storming back in the bottom of the first when sophomore designated hitter Dwight Tanaka doubled and was knocked in by junior second baseman Jeff Kobernus' two-run homer off of UCR starter Paul Bargas (6.1 innings, eight hits, six runs, five earned runs, two strikeouts).

In the top of the second inning, UCR's Bryan Horst had an RBI single off of Miller, but Cal came back again on a lead-off homer in the bottom of the second by senior third baseman Michael Brady. The Highlanders countered when Joey Gonzalez led off the top third inning with a home run to right field. The Bears tied the contest, 4-4, in the fourth inning on Brady's sacrifice fly to center field.

UC Riverside took a 6-4 lead in the fifth inning on a two-run homer by Michael Hur, but Cal wasn't finished scoring. The Bears exploded for four runs in the seventh inning for an 8-6 advantage on an RBI groundout by junior center fielder Brett Jackson, Oh's two-run homer and junior right fielder Blake Smith's RBI single that scored Kobernus, who had tripled following Oh's homer.

Kobernus finished the day 2-for-4 with a triple, home run and two RBI, while junior catcher Dylan Tonneson was 3-for-4 with a double. Hur was 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI for UC Riverside.

Due to the forecast of rain, the Bears next host UC Riverside in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21. Cal then faces Vanderbilt in a single game beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22 at Evans Diamond.

Home Runs:

UC Riverside: Joey Gonzalez, solo home run in the third inning. Michael Hur, two-run homer in the fifth inning,

Cal: Jeff Kobernus, two-run homer in the first inning. Michael Brady, solo home run in the second inning. Danny Oh, two-run homer in the seventh inning.