BERKELEY – If Darren Baker has proven anything in his short collegiate career, it's that pressure situations don't seem to bother him in the least.
 
On Saturday, Cal's freshman second baseman found himself confronted with not one but two critical scenarios and both times he came through when it mattered, first tying the game with an infield single and then sending a walk-off home run to right field as the Golden Bears dug deep for a 4-3 victory over Brown at Evans Diamond.
 
The game's decisive blow came in the bottom of the 12^th inning as Baker stood in against Brown reliever Grant Greeno. After taking the first pitch for a ball, he got the exact pitch he was looking for and cashed in, sending it over the right field fence for the game-winner.
 
"Coach (Noah) Jackson and I were talking about a game plan in the on-deck circle before I went up and I just backed off the plate," Baker said. "I got a hit off him yesterday on a fastball and I didn't think he'd throw that again so I was really sitting curve ball. He got it to me and it was the perfect pitch at the perfect time."
 
Baker had a little something to do with the fact that the game even went to extra innings in the first place. With Cal (10-4) trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, the freshman came to the plate with two outs and Connor Mack standing on third.
 
On this occasion, Baker sent a chopper to the right side of the infield that drew Brown first baseman Cameron Deere just far enough away from the bag that a toss was necessary. Baker beat the throw, Mack scored and on the game went to extra innings.
 
For as important as Baker's contributions were, Cal got an equally crucial effort out of left-hander Arman Sabouri. The sophomore entered the game to start the eighth inning and tossed two scoreless innings to get the Bears into extras. He never gave the ball back to head coach Mike Neu, throwing the final five innings and allowing two hits and one walk while striking out four.
 
"Mike said before the series that it's all hands on deck," Sabourii said. "He said I had the eighth, and we tied it in the bottom of the ninth so I went eight and nine and said OK, we'll warm up the (bullpen) and I'll go out and keep going. Inning by inning, pitch by pitch. That's how I did it."
 
Sabouri wasn't the only standout on the mound Saturday. Aaron Shortridge delivered a quality start, tossing six innings and allowing three runs while striking out a career-high nine. Andrew Buckley pitched the seventh inning and also delivered a scoreless frame.
 
Offensively, Cal managed seven hits against a Brown staff that got a good start from right-hander Garrett Delano. Baker finished 2 for 6 with a run and three RBI to lead the way.
 
Cal and Brown meet again on Sunday to wrap up their four-game series with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. The Golden Bears head across the Bay Bridge on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. contest at San Francisco and then the focus turns to Pac-12 play as Oregon State visits Evans Diamond for three games beginning on Friday.