BERKELEY – A bases-clearing double by Grant Holman and a two-run home run from Brandon McIlwain in the seventh inning helped vault California past rival Stanford, 8-4, in a nonconference clash on Tuesday night at Evans Diamond.
 
The Bears (3-5) won their second straight contest in comeback fashion as they plated seven runs in the seventh and overcame a 3-1 deficit to the Cardinal (1-7). Joseph King earned his second win in as many games with 1.2 innings of relief on the mound. Tuesday was the first of four head-to-head games between Cal and Stanford this season, with the remaining three taking place on March 21-23 in Stanford.
 
Just as Stanford appeared to seize the momentum by breaking a 1-1 tie with two runs in the top of the seventh, Cal stormed back in the home half of the frame. Consecutive singles by Steven Zobac and Ethan Cloyd, and a costly fielding error that allowed Keshawn Ogans to reach, helped Cal load the bases with one out. Darren Baker drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to one run and Quentin Selma drove in the game-tying run with a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
A walk by Nathan Martorella reloaded the bases and set the stage for Holman's go-ahead, three-RBI double to the right-center gap, giving Cal a 6-3 lead. McIlwain then added the exclamation mark with a moonshot over the center field wall, scoring himself and Holman to make it an 8-3 advantage. Stanford gained one run back in the eighth but did not gain any traction. Zobac, who started in left field, made his first career pitching appearance in the ninth and struck out the side to close out the game.
 
Lucas Gather started on the mound and gave Cal three strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out a pair. He was relieved by Nick Proctor, Jack Wolger and Vaughn Mauterer before the game turned over to King.
 
Cal's offense sputtered through the first six frames with just one hit by Dylan Beavers. Its first run of the night came on another sacrifice fly by Selma, scoring Cloyd during a two-error third inning from Stanford.
 
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Joseph King (2-0)
Loss: Zach Grech (0-1)
 
NOTABLES

• The Bears have scored 14 total runs in the seventh inning or later in their last two contests.
• Cal's pitching staff struck out 10 batters, marking the fourth time it's reached double digits this season.
• Quentin Selma (0-for-3, two RBI) has tallied multiple RBI in five of his last six games.
• Darren Bake stole his fourth bag of the year. He has 30 for his career.
• Attendance was 724, the highest weekday figure at Evans Diamond since Cal hosted Stanford on April 19, 2016. 

UP NEXT
Cal will face Big 12 Conference foe TCU on the road in Fort Worth, Texas, on Feb. 28-March 1.
 
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