STANFORD – The Cal baseball team led for most of the contest thanks to the home run ball. However, in the bottom of the ninth inning, it was a two-run home run from Stanford's Braden Montgomery that tied the game up. The eighth-ranked Cardinal completed the comeback on an RBI single by Jake Sapien to win 6-5 on Tuesday night at Klein Field at the Sunken Diamond.
 
After giving up a run in the second inning, Cal (18-19) led for most of the contest thanks to home runs from Rodney Green Jr. and Kade Kretzschmar. The two-run blast by Green Jr. in the third completed a four run rally by the Golden Bears. Kretzschmar gave Cal an insurance run with a solo home run in the sixth. The two home runs by Cal give them at least one home run in three-straight games and six over their last seven contests. Nathan Manning continues to make a big impact, he went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Max Handron, Caleb Lomavita, and Nico Button also collected hits. Button and Lomavita had RBIs as well.
 
Stanford (26-12) entered the ninth inning 1-for-15 with runners on base and 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. That changed quickly with the Montgomery at bat. The Cardinal finished the evening with six runs on 13 hits. Tommy Troy was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Montgomery finished the night 2-for-5 with two runs scored and the two runs driven in.
 
Robert Aivazian (0-3) took the loss for Cal. He pitched brilliantly, tossing three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the ninth. His final line, 3.1 innings pitched, allowing five hits, three runs, with a walk. Andres Galan got the start for Cal and went 4.1. He was able to pitch around six hits and five walks in the no-decision.
 
Getting the win for the Cardinal was Toran O'Harran (1-1) who pitched a scoreless inning of relief. He was one of six pitchers employed by Stanford on the evening. Starter Nicolas Lopez threw two scoreless innings.
 
A single up the middle, a double down the right field line and a sacrifice fly by Malcolm Moore was how the Cardinal scored the first run of the contest. Galan battled and got out of the frame surrendering just the lone run.
 
Cal got on the board in the top half of the third. Manning led off with a double to right field. Button knocked him with a single back up the middle to make it 1-1. A single by Handron to left put runners at the corners with one out. Lomavita hit a weak tapper down the first base line, allowing Button to score from third for the go-ahead run. The rally continued when Green Jr. jumped all over a first-pitch fastball and hit over the Oak trees in right field for his ninth home run of the year and 15th in his career.
 
The Cardinal put two on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Tommy Troy led off the frame with a solo home run just out of reach of Green Jr. Stanford got runners on the corner with one out and that ended the day for Galan. Austin Turkington got Moore to fly out to center field which allowed Montgomery to score. Tyler Stasiowski ended the threat by getting a ground ball to short for the final out.
 
Kretzschmar led off the sixth with a mammoth blast, giving the Bears a two-run cushion. The home run came off reliever Nick Dugan, it was the 11^th home run of the year for Kretzschmar who has hit eight of his 11 home runs in the month of April.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears head to the East Coast for a three-game series against Pitt. The series begins Friday afternoon at 3 pm PT at Charles L. Cost Field.
 
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