BERKELEY – A big early rally put the Cal baseball team in control right away and the Bears added on with two more scoring outbursts before they were done to begin a three-game Pac-12 series at Washington State with an emphatic 13-6 victory.
 
After spotting the host Cougars a run in the first inning, Cal (20-11, 6-7 Pac-12) roared back to take command in the top of the second. Jonah Davis reached on an error, Jeffrey Mitchell Jr. and Darren Baker each singled and Max Flower brought all three in to score with a liner just inside first base that ended up in the right field corner for a three-run triple.
 
After a walk by Cameron Eden, Tyrus Greene and Tanner Dodson added to the lead with an RBI single from each making the score 5-1. A ground out by Davis later in the inning wrapped up the inning and gave Cal six runs on five hits and one Washington State error.
 
That was all the scoring either team would do until the sixth inning and the Bears added to the lead to put the game out of reach. Flower was again in the middle of the action, singling and stealing second to set the table for the rest of the inning. Dodson eventually brought his teammate in with a single up the middle and Cal went on to score twice via the wild pitch and once on a bases-loaded walk to make it 10-1 after five and a half innings.
 
Washington State (9-18, 4-9) launched its comeback bid in the seventh, chasing Cal starter Matt Ladrech with three singles that scored one run. After three walks brought in two more Cougar runs, left-hander Zayne Patino entered and shut the door, getting a strikeout and fly out to end the threat with Cal still up 10-5.
 
Ladrech made his first Friday start of the season and turned in another solid effort to lead the Bears to a win. The left-hander pitched into the seventh inning before turning it over to the bullpen and ended the day having allowed five runs on 10 hits. He struck out six and did not walk anyone. Fellow senior Erik Martinez finished Cal's pitching day with a strong outing, striking out five and allowing just one unearned run in two innings of work.
 
Cal answered Washington State's late rally with another big inning of its own, batting around for the third time in the game to score three runs in the eighth. RBI singles by Sam Wezniak and Baker as well as a sacrifice fly by Cameron Eden accounted for the Bears' final rally. By the time the dust settled, Cal had 15 hits as a team, led by a three-hit day from both Baker and Dodson.
 
The Bears and Cougars will return to Bailey-Brayton Field on Saturday and play two games in an attempt to avoid inclement weather that is scheduled to roll over Eastern Washington on Sunday. Game two of the series will begin at 1 p.m. with the series finale starting shortly after the conclusion of the first game.