March 23, 2009

Box Score

BERKELEY, CALIF. - Highlighted by Blake Smith's three-run homer, a clutch two-run single by Brian Guinn and a two-run homer by Mark Canha, the California baseball team defeated Stanford, 11-4, Monday in the final game of a three-game Pac-10 series at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears, who won Saturday, 7-6, but dropped Sunday's contest, 6-5 in 12 innings, improved to 12-8 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The Cardinal dropped to 4-10 and 1-2 in league. The winning pitcher for Cal was junior left-hander Michael Bugary (3-0, 2.0 innings, three hits, two runs, three walks, six strikeouts), while redshirt freshman Dixon Anderson earned his first collegiate save by throwing the final 3.0 innings with no hits, no runs, no walks and two strikeouts.

Stanford had led 2-0 after scoring two runs in the top of the first inning on a two-run double by Jonathan Kaskow off of Bear left-hander Todd Fitzgerald (2.0 innings, two hits, two runs, five walks, three strikeouts). Cal came back with three runs in the bottom of the third inning on Smith's three-run homer off of Cardinal freshman left-hander Brett Mooneyham (4.0 innings, two hits, four runs, eight walks, five strikeouts).

Stanford recaptured the lead, 4-3, with two runs in the top of the fifth inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Zach Jones and Adam Gaylord off of Bugary. However, the Bears got the lead back for good with five runs in the bottom of the fifth, with the key hits being an RBI single by senior third baseman Michael Brady, a two-run single by Guinn and an RBI single by junior center fielder Brett Jackson. Cal sealed the game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI single by Smith and Canha's two-run homer.

Smith finished the game 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI, Guinn was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Canha hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season. Canha had hit a three-run homer versus Stanford on Sunday.

The Bears will next host Santa Clara on Wednesday, March 25 at 2:30 p.m. at Evans Diamond. Cal will then return to Pac-10 action with a three-game series versus Washington State, beginning Friday, March 27 at 2:30 p.m. at Evans Diamond. The Bears' Saturday, March 28 game against the Cougars had been moved from 1 p.m. to 12 p.m., due to Cal hosting the NCAA Women's Basketball Regional at Haas Pavilion. The Sunday, March. 29 game between WSU and Cal will remain with a 1 p.m. start.

Home Runs:

Stanford: None.

Cal: Blake Smith, three-run homer in the third inning. Mark Canha, two-run homer in the eighth inning.