BERKELEY – With the energy of Cal Day helping to create an energy palpable throughout Evans Diamond, the Cal baseball team did its best to match that electricity as Jared Horn delivered a tremendous start, Andrew Vaughn homered and the Bears clinched their fourth Pac-12 series win in a row with a 5-2 victory over Washington.
 
It took Horn one inning to settle into a groove that he would carry throughout a sun-splashed afternoon in Berkeley as Washington took an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. That two-run margin didn't even last an inning with Cal taking one back courtesy of a double by Tyrus Greene and RBI single by Vaughn.
 
Cal (23-13, 9-8 Pac-12) took the lead for good in the third inning and Vaughn was again the man in the middle of the action. Tanner Dodson gave the Bears a runner by getting hit by a pitch, setting the stage for what would turn out to be quite a battle between Vaughn and Washington pitcher Joe DeMers.
 
Cal's home run leader fouled off five pitches in an eight pitch at-bat and the final pitch he saw got deposited over the fence in left-center field for a two-run home run, Vaughn's 17^th of the year, that put the Bears up 3-2.
 
For the next four innings, Horn took center stage. The big right-hander cut through the Washington lineup, retiring the final six hitters he faced and equaling his longest start of the season with a 7-inning gem.
 
Mixing his always-strong fastball with a sharp, biting breaking ball and changeup, Horn also made an adjustment to work from the opposite side of the pitching rubber for Saturday's start. The result was seven innings pitched (matching his season-high), seven hits allowed, two runs and one walk while striking out four.
 
"It was a little mid-week adjustment. Just something I thought I'd try and after I got rolling and trusted my defense, it seemed to work out," Horn said. "We're feeling good after this game. We're still trying to take it one game at a time and we're trying to get the sweep tomorrow. I feel good after this start. I'm happy with it."
 
Dodson helped shut the door on Washington both offensively and defensively, first delivering a key two-run single in the seventh inning to put Cal ahead 5-2. He entered on the mound in the eighth and threw two scoreless innings to record his ninth save of the season.
 
Vaughn led the way offensively, going 2 for 4 with a home run, run scored and three RBIs. Greene delivered another quality performance as Cal's leadoff hitter, going 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. The Bears ended the game with eight hits as a team.
 
"We knew we were in for a battle today," Cal head coach Mike Neu said. "For us to be able to get a win against a guy like (DeMers), and especially for Jared, who in his own right is very talented and getting to that point, is huge. That gives us a chance to go in tomorrow with (Aaron) Shortridge, who's been throwing really well."
 
Cal and Washington will meet for the final time in 2018 on Sunday when they reconvene at Evans Diamond for a 12:05 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Aaron Shortridge is set to toe the slab for the Bears while Jordan Jones is scheduled to pitch for Washington. Sunday's game is also the annual Bark at the Park game with fans encouraged to bring their dogs to the ballpark. For more information, visit CalBears.com/pupclub.