March 16, 2011

Box Score

BERKELEY - In a game that was filled with lots of drama, the No. 15-ranked California baseball team fell to San Francisco, 7-6 in 11 innings, Wednesday afternoon (March 16) at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears (10-5) had rallied from a 6-2 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning on an RBI single from sophomore left fielder Vince Bruno and a three-run homer by junior shortstop Marcus Semien to send the game into extra-innings, but wasn't able to take advantage of Bruno's lead-off double in the bottom of the 11th inning.

USF won the contest in the top of the 11th when Stephen Yarrow had a bases loaded RBI single off of Cal reliever Matt Flemer (0-1, 2.0 innings, four hits, one run, no walks, two strikeouts). In the bottom of the 11th, Bruno hit a double off of the Dons' Alex Balog (2-0, 2.0 innings, one hit, no runs, two walks) to start the inning and was sacrificed to third base by Semien. USF then intentionally walked sophomore second baseman Tony Renda before Balog was able to force junior catcher Chadd Krist to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

The Dons had scored the first two runs of the contest with a run in the third inning and a run in the fifth inning off of Cal freshman left-hander Louie Lechich (5.0 innings, six hits, two runs, one walk, four strikeouts). The Bears were able to tie the game with two runs in the sixth inning on back-to-back RBI singles from sophomore third baseman Mitch Delfino and junior right fielder Danny Oh.

However, USF came storming back with four runs in the top of the seventh inning off Cal relievers Logan Scott and Kyle Porter, and appeared to have the game under control until the Bears mounted their comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Besides Semien's key three-run homer in the ninth inning, Bruno (2-for-4, double, RBI) and sophomore first baseman Devin Rodriguez (2-for-5, double) had two hits apiece for Cal. It was the second extra-inning game in the last three games for the Bears, as they had defeated Rice, 7-6 in 15 innings, last Saturday night at AT&T Park during the Cal Baseball Classic.

Cal will next host Big 10 opponent Ohio State (6-5) in a three-game non-conference series, March 18-20 at Evans Diamond. Game times are 2:30 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Following the Ohio State series, the Bears host Nevada on Monday, March 21 at 2:30 p.m. at Evans Diamond.