BERKELEY – After two innings the California baseball team led by a comfortable 8-0 margin. The lead was extended to 12-3 thanks to a grand slam from Peyton Schulze, the second of the game for the Golden Bears. However, Connecticut refused to go down quietly, putting up crooked numbers in the third, fifth, and sixth, to eventually tie the game in the seventh. In the end, a solo home run by freshman PJ Moutzouridis was the difference as the Bears took the series with a wild 15-12 win on Saturday.  
 
Cal (5-1) had another big offensive day, smashing four more home runs, giving them eight for the series so far. Of the Bears' 13 hits, eight came with runners on and five with runners in scoring position. Max Handron, Caleb Lomavita, and Moutzouridis combined for 10 of Cal's 13 hits. Handron went 4-for-5 with four runs and knocked in a crucial RBI. Lomavita had the first of two grand slams for Cal when he crushed a ball to left center in the bottom of the second. He finished the afternoon going 3-for- with a run scored and four driven in.
 
But it was Moutzouridis who had the biggest hit of the afternoon, the game-winning, opposite field, solo home run in the seventh off reliever Joe Cinnella (0-1). Moutzouridis went 3-for-3, finishing with three legs of the cycle. He scored three runs and knocked in two. His three hits give him four multi-hit games already this season and he increased his batting average to .625 on the year.
 
UCONN (2-3) was led by Korey Morton who was 5-for-5 with a home run and four singles. He knocked in four and scored three for the Huskies. Jake Studley also had a home run for UCONN, his second of the series. Cinnella was the fourth pitcher of the day for UCONN, he went 1.1 innings, allowing two hits, and two runs, with a pair of walks in the loss. Ian Cooke got the start for the Huskies; he surrendered eight runs on four hits in 1.1 innings.
 
For the second consecutive day, it was a home run by Rodney Green Jr. that started the scoring for the Bears. In the first bottom of the first inning, he smashed the ball over the right field fence for his fourth of the year. Handren led off the inning with a single to shallow right field.
 
In the bottom of the second, Cal continued to put on a power display. UCONN intentionally loaded the bases with one away for Lomavita who jumped all over a first pitch challenge fastball for a bases-clearing grand slam, his second home run of the year.
 
In the top of the third UCONN began its comeback. Designated hitter Matt Malcon pulled a ball down the left field line that stayed fair for a solo home run, the first of the year for Malcom. In the next inning, Malcom collected his second RBI of the game with a weakly hit ground ball to third that allowed the runner at third to score.
 
Cal loaded the bases for the second time in the bottom of the fourth inning. This time it was Schulze's turn to clear the bases. He worked the count in his favor and sat on a 2-0 fastball, crushing it over the left field fence for his second home run of the season, he finished the day going 1-for-3 with a career-high six RBIs.
 
UCONN added two more runs in the top of the fifth off reliever Arthur Liu. The Huskies loaded the bases and scored a run on an infield hit and a fly ball to deep center field. Korey Morton and Tyler Minick were the recipients of the RBIs. With two outs, Liu loaded the bags for the second time which ended his day. UCONN scored three more runs to cut the Cal lead to four.
 
UCONN continued to chip away at the Bears' lead in the top of the sixth. Andres Galan entered the game and fell behind the first two batters he faced. After getting a strikeout, Galan surrendered a three-run home run to Morton, his second of the year.
Robert Aivazian (1-0) got the final two outs of the sixth and the first two outs in the seventh before surrendering a game-tying solo home run to Studley. The home run was the lone blemish on Aivazian's otherwise stellar performance. He went 2.1 innings, scattering two hits and a run while striking out five to earn the win.
 
Tyler Stasiowski closed the game out for the Bears, getting the final four outs of the game, three by strikeout. It was his second save in as many chances. Luke Short got the start for Cal, he went four complete, scattering six hits, three runs with a walk, and two strikeouts. Cal's pitchers combined to strike out 12 Huskies, giving them five games with at least 10 strikeouts.
 
 
UP NEXT
Cal goes for the series sweep tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. RHP Tom Mayer is scheduled to start for the Bears, and UCONN will counter with righty Stephen Quigley.
 
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