TUCSON, Ariz. – After taking a one-run lead in the sixth inning, the Cal baseball team couldn't hold on to the advantage as No. 15-ranked Arizona scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the frame and five more in the seventh as the Bears dropped a 10-3 decision in the first game of a three-game series at Hi Corbett Field.
Single runs in the first and third inning helped Cal (23-29, 13-15 Pac-12) take the early momentum on a warm night in Arizona. A double by
Jeffrey Mitchell, Jr. and single off the plate by
Andrew Vaughn helped the Bears set the table in the first and
Tanner Dodson brought the run home with an infield single of his own to make it 1-0 after an inning.
Vaughn and Dodson combined to produce the Bears' second run as well. A leadoff double put Vaughn on second to start the third inning,
Denis Karas bunted him over and Dodson brought the freshman in with a RBI ground out.
Arizona (37-17, 16-12) responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as a two-run double by JJ Matijevic knotted the score at 2. That score stayed the same until the sixth when
Matt Ruff produced a clutch at-bat for the Bears, driving a single up the middle with two outs to score
Cameron Eden and put Cal back up 3-2.
Cal's lead lasted all of half an inning. Arizona took advantage of shaky Cal defense in the bottom of the inning to push three runs across, taking the lead and extending it to a 5-3 advantage. The Wildcats added five more runs in the bottom of the seventh on three hits, two walks and a hit batter to seal the outcome. The Bears collected 11 hits on the evening, led by two-hit nights from Vaughn,
Jonah Davis and Ruff.
Cal and Arizona return to Hi Corbett Field on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. for game two of their weekend series. The game will be a battle of southpaws with Cal's
Matt Ladrech scheduled to oppose Arizona's Cameron Ming. The Bears and Wildcats will wrap up the 2017 regular season on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. Arizona is slated to start right-hander Cody Deason while the Bears have yet to announce a starter.
