BASE4/12/2015 6:33 AM | By: Cal Athletics
Celsi's Hit Gives Cal 11-10 Win Over Stanford
BERKELEY - In a crazy game that saw Stanford score nine runs in the last two innings to tie the contest, Cal's Brian Celsi ended up producing the game-winner with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth off of Cardinal reliever Gabe Cramer for an 11-10 Golden Bear win.
With the victory, Cal improves to 22-10 and 9-5 in Pac-12 play, while Stanford drops to 13-19 overall and 1-10 in league. The two teams will play the rubber match Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m. at Evans Diamond. The Cardinal had won game one of the series, 4-2, Friday afternoon.
Junior designated Nick Halamandaris set up the dramatics with a two-out double down the left field line off of Cramer. Pitcher Daulton Jefferies then pinch ran for Halamandaris and scored from second base on Celsi's hit to give David Esquer's squad the dramatic win.
The Bears had seem to have control of the game when they scored four runs in the third inning on a two-run double by Lucas Erceg, followed by a two-run homer by Chris Paul to take a 4-1 lead. Cal added two more runs in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Max Dutto and a sacrifice fly by Aaron Knapp.
But Stanford came storming back when Zach Hoffpauir hit a three-run homer to right field in the eighth inning to make the score 6-4 Cal. The Bears then again seemed to control the game when they scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Preston Grand Pre, a fielder's choice RBI by Knapp and a two-run single by Sean Peters.
Yet the Cardinal was not done, scoring six times in the top of the ninth, including Hoffpauir hitting another three-run homer to right field, to tie the game, 10-10.
Still, Cal didn't fold, even after Stanford turned a double play in the bottom of the ninth. Halamandaris came through with his double and then Celsi won the game with his single through the middle of the infield.
The winning pitcher for the Bears was senior left-hander Chris Muse-Fisher (3-1), who shut down the Cardinal after they had scored six in the ninth, getting the final three outs with two strikeouts.
