BERKELEY – Cal relief pitcher Sean Sullivan stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the sixth Sunday and walloped a home run to left field, the most unexpected and surreal moment of the afternoon.

Or was it?

The Bears' 9-8 victory over USC was filled with bizarre circumstances that aren't typically seen at Evans Diamond.

Begin with a starting pitcher who had to be removed from the game before throwing a single pitch.

Or an RBI double from Max Flower that was overturned by the home plate umpire and ruled a foul ball, triggering a lengthy argument from Cal head coach Mike Neu.  

Or catcher Korey Lee being ejected from the game shortly after that controversial overturn.

Then again, Cal fans probably would rather focus on the game's conclusion. After the Bears (9-8, 1-2 Pac-12) nearly let a five-run lead slip away entirely in the top of the ninth, freshman pitcher Jack Hinrichsen entered with one out, the bases loaded and the Bears clinging to a 9-8 lead.

Hinrichsen coaxed a foul pop-out from USC's Trevor Halsema and  then retired  cleanup hitter Jamal O'Guinn on a game-ending fly out, with Flower making a diving catch to clinch the victory.

It was wild, but the end result was  all that mattered to Neu after his team had dropped the first two of this three-game series to the Trojans (7-11, 2-1).

"There were so many controversial parts of the game," he said. "It was great to see our guys step up and make some huge plays. And then obviously, at the biggest point in the game when we needed it, Hinrichsen came in and got two huge outs. That was big. But yeah, just a crazy game. One of the more crazy games I've been a part of."

In building a 9-4 lead, the Bears got home runs from Cameron Eden, Cole Elvis, Brandon McIlwain and – of all people – Sullivan. The freshman reliever only got the chance to bat in the sixth because Lee was ejected and Neu shifted Elvis from designated hitter to catcher, meaning Cal pitchers had to hit for themselves from that point on.

The 6-foot-1, 165-pound Sullivan fouled off a couple of pitches and worked the count to 2-2, then launched a drive over the wall in left for a two-run shot off lefty Brian Gursky.

Sullivan was so excited he nearly missed first base on his  home run trot.

"I put a couple of OK swings on the ball, watched a couple balls in the dirt, and I saw one that was middle-in and I decided, 'Why not swing at it?,'" he said. "And it went a long way and I was pretty happy with it."  

Next up for Cal is a non-conference home game against USF on Tuesday night, and  then a three-game road series that starts Friday at Oregon State, the defending College World Series champions.

One thing Neu and his staff will be contemplating is their starting rotation, after freshman right-hander Grant Holman exited the field before completing his warm-up pitches in the first. He was diagnosed with a lat strain and could miss a couple of weeks.

"We're going to have to definitely figure out our pitching a little bit," Neu said.

First pitch Tuesday against USF is set for 7:05 p.m. and is Cal's first game of the season televised by the Pac-12 Network.