BERKELEY, Calif. – Having scratched out a pair of runs to take a lead in the middle innings, the Cal baseball team couldn't overcome one big burst of offense from No. 7-ranked TCU as the Horned Frogs plated five in the sixth inning to take control and a late rally fell short as the Bears fell 5-4 at Evans Diamond.
 
Cal (22-28) took the early advantage Friday, scoring a run in the third inning on a double steal that ended with an errant TCU throw and Cameron Eden swiping home on the play. The Bears pushed that lead to 2-0 in the fifth thanks to an RBI single by Jonah Davis and Cal found itself on the right side of the ledger against the visitors from Fort Worth.
 
TCU (39-13) claimed the momentum one inning later. A solo home run by Cam Warner cut Cal's lead in half and a double by Nolan Brown chased Bears starter Jared Horn from the game. The Horned Frogs kept rolling though and, after a strikeout stopped the stretch briefly, a two-run double by Michael Landestoy and two-run home run by Austen Wade put TCU ahead 5-2.
 
The Bears created a chance to cut into the deficit in the seventh with singles by Eden and Davis and an error on TCU putting runners on second and third with nobody out. The rally produced only one run though as a Matt Ruff ground out produced the only mark on the scoreboard in the inning.
 
Cal's last gasp came in the ninth and the Bears got the tying run to second base thanks to a leadoff single and a two-out, RBI double by Ruff. TCU closer Durbin Feltman shut the door though, getting a looping pop out to second base to finish the game.
 
The bottom of Cal's order played a big part in the Bears' out-hitting TCU 10-7 as Davis collected three hits and Greene and Eden each had two. Jeffrey Mitchell, Jr. also had two hits for Cal. Aaron Shortridge turned in yet another sterling relief appearance to continue a recent string of quality pitching as the right-hander struck out the side in the seventh and tossed two scoreless innings.
 
Cal and TCU will wrap up their three-game series on Saturday with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Saturday's game will be preceded by a Senior Day ceremony in which upperclassmen Akaash Agarwal and Ian Lutz will be recognized for their contributions to Cal Baseball. The Bears hit the road to wrap up the 2017 regular season as they'll head to Tucson, Ariz. next week for three games against Arizona.