SEATTLE, Wash. – A big inning of offense midway through the game put the Cal baseball team in front and a great effort out of the bullpen from junior Erik Martinez got the Bears to the finish line as they picked up a 7-3 victory over Washington and evened their Pac-12 series at a game apiece.
 
Cal (20-20, 12-8 Pac-12) got the offense rolling early Saturday, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a two-run double from Jonah Davis. Washington got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first but the Bears hung on to a 2-1 advantage into the middle innings.
 
A fifth-inning outburst at the plate put Cal squarely in front. Denis Karas added to the lead by sneaking a sharp ground ball just inside the third base bag, scoring Preston Grand Pre and Cameron Eden to make it 4-1 Bears. Two batters later, Davis was at it again, driving another double into the right-center field gap to bring two more Cal runners in and pushing the lead to 6-1.
 
Washington (23-17, 9-8) again countered with a single run in the bottom of the inning but a clutch contribution from Martinez helped keep momentum in Cal's corner. Usually a late-inning specialist for the Bears, Martinez entered with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth to try and record the biggest outs of the game.
 
Though one run eventually scored on a wild pitch, Cal's closer did exactly what was asked, working the Bears out of a tough spot with a strikeout and a foul out to keep the lead at four. An RBI single by Grand Pre in the top of the sixth helped fully re-establish command and Cal took a 7-2 lead into the late innings.
 
"I think it's understanding the weekend and on Saturday knowing that it's nice to win at least one before going into Sunday's game," Martinez said. "When my name is called, I don't care if it's the fourth inning or the ninth inning, I've just got to do my thing and go pitch."
 
The Huskies made one more bid to get back into the ballgame in the eighth, scoring a run to cut Cal's lead to four. Martinez was again ready with a response though and, after a walk put runners on first and second with two outs, the West Covina, Calif. native got a first-pitch pop-up to end the threat.
 
Martinez allowed only one base runner in the ninth to close the game out, finishing with a stat line of one run and three hits allowed over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked just two to earn his third win of the season in relief of Cal starter Joey Matulovich, who also allowed just one earned run (two total) and three hits over 4 and 1/3 innings.
 
Davis made Cal's biggest impact at the plate as the sophomore went 2 for 4 with four RBI. Pac-12 home run leader Andrew Vaughn scored twice after being intentionally walked three times and Cal collected eight hits as a team.
 
Cal and Washington will bring the weekend to a close on Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Southpaw Matt Ladrech is scheduled to get the ball for the Bears while the Huskies will counter with right-hander Joe DeMers. Cal returns to Evans Diamond on Tuesday for a 7:05 p.m. game against San Francisco and returns to the Pacific Northwest next weekend to take on No. 1 Oregon State in a three-game series.
 
"Winning on Saturday and putting ourselves in a rubber match tomorrow is huge," Martinez said. "With the way we're swinging the bats and the way (Matt) Ladrech has been pitching, there's a huge upside for tomorrow."