BERKELEY – Santa Clara (5-3) scored three times in the top of the first inning and never trailed on the way to a 5-3 win over the California baseball team (5-4) in the opener of a four-game nonconference series at Stu Gordon Stadium on Friday evening. The Golden Bears loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Broncos' reliever Max Bayles closed out his first save of the season and the sixth of his career by striking out Seth Gwynn and getting PJ Moutzouridis to hit into a game-ending fielder's choice.

Jarren Advincula (3-5) had his first three-hit game of the season and reliever David Shaw recorded a career-high-tying seven strikeouts in a 5.2 inning outing that was the longest of his career to highlight performances by Cal players.

Santa Clara started its three-run top of the first when Cal starter and losing pitcher Austin Turkington (1-2) hit Max Ross to open the game. Mateo Garcia then singled with one out to put runners on first and third. Cal had a chance to get out of the inning when Malcom Williams grounded the ball back up the middle to Turkington for a potential inning-ending double play but beat Advincula's throw to first to score Ross and keep the inning alive. Williams then stole second and moved to third on a throwing error on the same play by Cal catcher Ryan Tayman before scoring on Dylan Joyce's RBI single. Tate Medicoff followed with an RBI double to plate Joyce and cap the rally.

Cal answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Advincula got things going with a leadoff single and scored all the way from first base on Gwynn's RBI double into the left field corner. Gwynn stole third two batters later and scored on a two-out fielding error by Bronco third baseman Niko Olson.

Neither team would score again until trading runs in the fifth inning.

Garcia led off the Broncos' fifth with an infield single and moved to second when Moutzouridis bounced his throw by first baseman Dominic Smaldino. Williams then reached on a bunt single, and Garcia scored on the play on Cade Campbell's throwing error.

Cal got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Tayman singled off the leg of Santa Clara starter and winning pitcher Bradon Gomez (1-1) then later scored on Gomez' wild pitch with two outs and the bases loaded. Gomez escaped further damage when he got Moutzouridis on a fly out to left field.

Cal loaded the bases again in the bottom of the seventh when Jacob French drew a one-out walk, Advincula singled, and Gwynn was hit by a pitch, but Bayles stuck out Moutzouridis before getting Smaldino on an inning-ending fielder's choice.

Santa Clara added the game's final tally with an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning when Medicoff walked to lead off the inning before his pinch runner Andrew Rayment scored on a two-out RBI single by Ross to score the only earned run against Shaw.

Garcia (2-4, 2B) and Olson (2-4, 2B) were the only Santa Clara players with more than one hit or an extra-base hit.

Gomez (5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO) and Bayles (4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 SO) combined to strike out 14 Cal batters while scattering seven hits and walking only two

The teams resume their four-game series Saturday in Berkeley with first pitch at 2 p.m. PT. A postgame autograph session following the contest and a $5 ticket will be available for all fans who purchase a Cal men's basketball ticket on the same day. Saturday's contest will conclude a historic 10-game Cal homestand that was the longest to open a season in recorded school history.

The final two games of the series will be played at Santa Clara on Sunday (2 p.m.) and Monday (6 p.m.) in the Bears' final preparations for their first ACC games in school history at No. 17/19/18 Duke (March 7-9).

Tickets for all 2025 Cal baseball home games are on sale at CalBears.com.