SAN FRANCISCO — The arms were on for the California baseball team on Monday as the Golden Bears two-hit San Francisco at Benedetti Diamond to earn their first shutout win of the season 8-0.
 
Cal (15-16) featured four freshmen pitchers including Otto Espinoza who had a bounce-back start tossing three hitless innings and only issuing a pair of walks while striking out three. Jett Wright followed him out of the pen and earned his first career win striking out four batters over two innings.
 
After going down in order the first time through the lineup, the Bears broke through in the fourth inning with Hideki Prather reaching on a hit-by-pitch and Jacob French scoring him on an RBI double. French, who made his first appearance since suffering an injury on March 20, then came around to score on a wild pitch to give Cal a 2-0 lead.
 
Cal no-hit USF (16-14) through five innings but the Dons got it going in the bottom of the sixth loading the bases with no outs. With their lead on the line the Bears went to the bullpen and called upon Ryan Spalliero, who has been one of top relievers the last few weeks. The senior did not disappoint, getting a strikeout and an ending-inning double-play ball to get out of the jam unscathed.
 
Insurance came in the top of the seventh in the form of an RBI double by Joshua Hanson, sac flies by Prather and Ethan Kodama, and a Don error that gave the Bears a 6-0 lead. Cal made it 8-0 the next time up to bat with a two-run eighth thanks to back-to-back doubles by Jett Kenady and Daniel Murillo.
 
Freshmen Take Kreis and Trent Roach allowed just one baserunner in the seventh and eighth and sophomore Jodry Lopez shut the door with a one-two-three ninth inning with two strikeouts.
 
In his first game back, French notched his ninth multi-hit game of the season going 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run. Kenady added his team-leading 12th multi-hit effort of the year going 2-for-4 with a double and a run.
 
The Bears will now pack their bags and head east to take on Pitt in a three-game series which begins this Friday at Charles L. Cost Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. PT on ACCNX.
 
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