BERKELEY – Sophomore right-hander Daulton Jefferies recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts and senior closer Dylan Nelson added five strikeouts in two innings as Cal (3-2) defeated UC Irvine, 6-1, Friday night at Evans Diamond.

Jefferies (1-1) was spectacular, picking up his first win since starting his freshman season 2-0 in 2014. He threw 7.0 innings against the Anteaters with five hits, one run and only one walk to go with his 10 strikeouts. Jefferies previous high strikeouts was eight, set last season in his second game and he had eight strikeouts in the season-opening loss to Duke. His lone run allowed came on a solo home run by UCI's Andrew Martinez in the sixth inning.

Nelson was nearly as spectacular as Jefferies, getting out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning by striking out Martinez, Wyatt Castro and Jerry McClanahan. Nelson went on to gather two more strikeouts in the ninth inning.

Cal hitters gave Jefferies a nice cushion in the first inning by scoring three runs off of Anteater left-hander Elliot Surrey (0-1, 6.0 innings, seven hits, six runs, four earned runs, one walk, five strikeouts). The first five Bear hitters of the game got hits with freshman catcher getting an RBI double, sophomore third baseman Lucas Erceg an RBI double and junior right fielder Devin Pearson an RBI double.

Cal added two runs in the fourth inning on an RBI single up the middle by freshman shortstop Preston Grand Pre. Grand Pre later scored on a wild pitch in the fourth. The Bears' sixth run came in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore center fielder Aaron Knapp.

Cal will next play UC Irvine in a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m. at Evans Diamond. The series concludes Sunday with a 1 p.m. start at Evans.