March 10, 2012
Box Score
LINCOLN, NEB. -
No. 25 Cal jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings, but gave up three runs in the sixth inning and six runs in the eighth inning on the way to a 12-5 loss at Nebraska Saturday (March 10) at Hawks Field in Lincoln. The Golden Bears, who had won six games in a row, including an 11-8, 11-inning victory over the Cornhuskers on Friday, dropped to 10-3 on the year. Nebraska improved to 9-5.
The two teams will play the third game of the four-game series Sunday, March 11 at 1:05 p.m. CT. Highlights for Cal Saturday included junior third baseman Mitch Delfino going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, and senior center fielder Chad Bunting going 3-for-4 with a double (team-high seventh of the year) and an RBI.
Junior left fielder Darrel Matthews (2-for-5, two RBI) and sophomore first baseman Andrew Knapp (2-for-5) had multiple hits on the day as well. Both the Bears and the Cornhuskers finished with 13 hits.
Senior right-hander Matt Flemer suffered his first loss of the season (2-1), throwing 7.1 innings with 12 hits, nine earned runs and a strikeout. Flemer has thrown at least 7.0 innings in all four of his outings this season, but yielded two home runs in the loss to Nebraska. The Cornhuskers also had a grand slam in their six-run eighth off of Cal reliever Michael Lowden (1.0 inning, one hit, two runs, one walk, two strikeouts).
The Bears scored a run in the top of the first inning on Bunting's RBI single off of Nebraska starter Jon Keller (2-0, 7.1 innings, 11 hits, five runs, three earned runs, one walk, two strikeouts). Cal added two runs in the second inning on Matthews' two-run single. The Bears next scored in the fifth inning when Bunting doubled to center field and scored on Delfino's single to center, and added another run when Delfino led-off the eighth inning with a home run.
After the series at Nebraska, Cal will open Pac-12 play hosting Oregon State, March 16-18, at Evans Diamond. Game times are 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 16; 1 p.m. Saturday, March 17 and 12 p.m. Sunday, March 18.
