March 27, 2012
Box Score
FRESNO, CALIF. - Junior third baseman Mitch Delfino knocked in three runs with a two-run double and a home run, helping lead Cal to a 7-6 victory over Fresno State (13-11) Tuesday (March 27) at Beiden Field. The Golden Bears improved to 14-9, but had to hold on after giving up four runs to the Bulldogs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Finally junior right-hander Logan Scott was able to get Taylor Tempel to fly out to center field to earn his fifth save of the season.
Sophomore left-hander Michael Theofanopoulos earned the win, improving his record to 2-3 by throwing 6.1 innings with six hits, one earned run, three walks and three strikeouts.
Other top hitters for Cal were junior designated hitter Vince Bruno, who was 3-for-5, and senior center fielder Chad Bunting, who had and RBI triple in the sixth inning.
Cal scored a run in the top of the first inning off of Fresno State starter Thomas Harlan (3-4, 5.2 innings, eight hits, three earned runs, no walks, five strikeouts) when Bruno led off the game with a single up the middle, was sacrificed to second base on Delfino's sacrifice bunt and scored on senior catcher Chadd Krist's RBI single up the middle.
Delfino gave the Bears a 3-2 lead with a two-run double over Bulldog right fielder Jordan Luplow's head in the fifth inning, scoring freshman shortstop Chris Paul and Bruno. Cal added another run in the sixth inning when Bunting had an RBI triple through the left center field gap.
Delfino gave the Bears an added bonus with a two-out home run to deep left field in the seventh inning to boost Cal's lead to 5-2. The Bears tacked on two more runs with a successful double steal by Bunting and senior right fielder Danny Oh in the eighth inning, and Bruno scored on Fresno State's Chris Mariscal throwing error in the ninth inning.
Cal needed its seven runs as the Bulldogs scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI ground out, a two-run double by Trent Garrison and an RBI single by Kenny Wise.
The Bears next travel to Round Rock, Texas to play the University of Texas in what was originally a four-game series. The Cal-Texas series will now be Friday, March 30 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time; Saturday, March 31 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time and Sunday, April 1 at 11 a.m. Pacific Time. KALX 90.7 FM will be broadcasting all three games, while KNEW 960 AM will broadcast the Saturday and Sunday contests with a David Esquer Pregame Show starting at 3:45 p.m. Saturday and 10:45 a.m. Sunday.
