April 26, 2009

Box Score

BERKELEY, CALIF. - The California baseball team gave No. 2-ranked Arizona State all it could ask for before falling, 6-5, Sunday afternoon at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears got within a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two-run triple by freshman right fielder Danny Oh, but failed to score Oh from third base with one out to fall to 19-22 overall and 6-12 in the Pac-10. The Sun Devils improved to 31-9 overall and 15-3 in the conference. ASU won the series after winning 3-1 on Friday and losing to Cal, 10-6, Saturday.

In the top of the eighth inning, ASU's Riccio Torrez hit a two-out double that went off the top of Cal sophomore outfielder Dwight Tanaka's glove and allowed Matt Newman to score and give the Sun Devils a 6-3 advantage. In the bottom of the eighth Oh hit a one-out triple off of ASU's Mitchell Lambson (6-2, 2.0 innings, three hits, two runs, one walk, three strikeouts) to the right center field gap, scoring junior designated Blake Smith and senior third baseman Michael Brady to get the Bears within 6-5. Unfortunately for Cal, Jordan Swagerty, after hitting Dylan Tonneson with a pitch, was able to get Tanaka to pop-up a bunt attempt to first base and get junior center fielder Brett Jackson to ground out sharply to first base. Swagerty got the Bears out in order in the bottom of the ninth to earn his fourth save of the year.

The losing pitcher for Cal was junior left-hander Michael Bugary (3-3), who replaced starter Kevin Miller in the third inning and threw a career-high 4.2 innings with two hits, two runs, three walks and six strikeouts.

The Sun Devils got three runs in the top of the first inning on a fielding error by Brady, a sacrifice fly by Newman and an RBI single by Zack McPhee. The Bears came back with a run in the third inning on an RBI single by junior second baseman Jeff Kobernus, a run in the fourth inning on a two-out homer by junior catcher Dylan Tonneson and a run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Brady, scoring Kobernus who had led off the inning with a double.

ASU took back the lead in the seventh inning on RBI singles by Raoul Torrez and Drew Maggi off of Bugary for a 5-3 advantage, and then scored again in the eighth on Riccio Torrez's RBI double.

Kobernus again led the Bears at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Smith had a pair of hits for Cal as well.

Cal will next host the University of Pacific on Tuesday, April 28 at 2:30 p.m. at Evans Diamond.

Home Runs:

Arizona State: None.

Cal: Dylan Tonneson, solo home run in the fourth inning.