March 6, 2009

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. - The Cal baseball team held a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning, but yielded two runs in the ninth and a run in the 10th to fall, 5-4, Friday night at No. 21-ranked Arkansas. It broke the Golden Bears' six-game winning streak as Cal dropped to 7-3. The Razorbacks improved to 8-1.

In the bottom of the ninth the Bears had two outs with a 4-2 lead when standout freshman closer Erik Johnson hit Collin Kuhn with a pitch. Johnson then gave up a two-run homer to Ben Tschepikow to tie the game, 4-4. Junior left-hander Chris Petrini replaced Johnson in the bottom of the 10th and walked the lead-off batter, James McCann. Petrini was able to strikeout the next batter, but then gave up a single down the left field line to Chase Leavitt, advancing McCann to third. Kuhn then laid down a bunt single, scoring McCann for the game-winning RBI..

Cal had scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take the early 3-0 lead. Senior third baseman Michael Brady had a one-out double, followed by a single to left field by junior second baseman Jeff Kobernus that advanced Brady to third base. Brady ended up scoring on an error by Arkansas third baseman Andy Wilkins on a ball hit by junior catcher Dylan Tonneson. Junior right fielder Blake Smith then had an RBI double to left center field to score Kobernus. Another error by Wilkins on a ball hit by sophomore first baseman Mark Canha allowed Tonneson to score.

The Bears added another run in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Brady to center field for a 4-0 lead.

Arkansas came back with two runs in the sixth inning on a wild pitch by junior left-hander Michael Bugary and an RBI groundout to second base by Zack Cox. Then in the bottom of the ninth, reliever Johnson gave up the two-run homer to Tschepikow

Brady finished the game as Cal's top hitter, going 3-for-4 with a home run. Smith was 2-for-5 with an RBI double. Junior center fielder Brett Jackson was able to extend his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the ninth inning and Canha also extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a double in the eighth inning. Cal freshman right-hander Matt Flemer had a solid start, pitching 5.0 innings with four hits, two runs, two walks and six strikeouts. Junior reliever Daniel Wolford was also effective, throwing 2.1 innings with two hits, no runs, one walk and five strikeouts.

Cal will next play Arkansas in the second game of the three-game series Mar. 7 at 1:30 p.m. CST.

Home Runs:

Cal: Michael Brady, solo home run in the fifth inning.

Arkansas: Ben Tschepikow, two-run homer in the ninth inning.