BERKELEY – With visiting Arizona trying to complete a late-inning rally and the Cal baseball team clinging to a one-run lead, Bears senior Erik Martinez stood on the Evans Diamond mound for the final time in search of that one big out he had recorded so many times before.
 
And, for one final time on his home field, Martinez walked off to the roar of an appreciative crowd as he struck out Ryan Haug to finish a heart-stopping 12-11 victory, clinch a series sweep for the Bears and finish off a huge late-season victory for Cal.
 
With Cal leading 12-3 after seven innings, Arizona made its final push over the final two innings. The Wildcats scored four times in the eighth inning and four more in the ninth, pulling to within one on an RBI single to center by Alfonso Rivas.
 
A mound visit by Cal head coach Mike Neu gave Martinez a moment to breathe and the senior responded with one of his most memorable outs in an already great career. A 1-2 pitch buzzed right by Haug and found catcher Tyrus Greene's glove to send the Evans Diamond into celebration.
 
"Mike talked to me and said 'hey, you've done this so many times, just do you. Those hits and runs don't mean anything, just get this guy right here,'" Martinez said. "Just the comfortability of having Ty back there and seeing it (was big). I knew I had the fans. I got to two strikes and people were cheering and cheering. It felt like a big league game almost. I knew when I got the guy out, it was going to be really loud and I was looking forward to finishing the game and finishing my senior season on top."
 
Cal (29-19, 14-13 Pac-12) hit the scoreboard first on Sunday and did it with gusto, plating six runs in the fourth inning to land the first big blow of the afternoon. Max Flower delivered a two-run double, Sam Wezniak scored on a wild pitch, Cameron Eden drove in a run with a single and Tyrus Greene finished the inning with a two-run single to put the Bears ahead 6-0.
 
Arizona (29-20, 10-14) got its comeback bid going in the sixth, scoring three runs of its own to cut Cal's lead in half. But, any momentum gained from that outburst was gone by the end of the inning as the Bears responded with another six-run rally to extend their lead even further. This time, Tanner Dodson brought a run home by getting hit by a pitch, Jonah Davis and Wezniak each contributed RBI singles, Flower drove in two with another single and senior Matt Ruff finished the scoring with an RBI fielder's choice.
 
Aaron Shortridge took the ball in his usual Sunday starting spot and delivered another consistently strong performance to earn his fourth win of the season. The right-hander tossed six innings, scattering seven hits and allowing three runs while walking two and striking out four. Max Flower led the charge offensively, going 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Greene and Andrew Vaughn recorded two hits apiece as Cal finished with 11 hits on the afternoon.
 
"I've known E-Mar since he was a freshman and he's been such a huge bullpen piece for us. I know he wasn't totally satisfied with that outing but for him to get that strikeout to end the game and give us the series sweep was a great moment," Neu said. "I was happy for him and for our team because we worked so hard to put ourselves in this position. To come out and get this victory, it probably felt a little easier in the seventh inning than the ninth but either way it was a W and it was big for our program."
 
Cal hits the road for the final two weeks of the regular season with a road series at Creighton taking the Bears to Omaha, Neb. this week. The series begins Thursday at 4:30 p.m. (PT), continues Friday at 4:30 and concludes Saturday with a 10 a.m. first pitch. Friday's game will be broadcast nationally by CBS Sports Network. Cal wraps up the regular season at Arizona State.