Bears Blast No. 2 Cardinal

STANFORD, Calif. –   A grand slam in the first inning by Carson Crawford and a two-run home run by Caleb Lomavita in the top of the sixth were the offensive highlights as the Golden Bears upset No. 2 Stanford 8-4 on Tuesday evening at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond.  

For the second-straight game Cal (3-1) scored in the first inning. The Bears rally started with back-to-back singles by Rodney Green Jr. and Peyton Schulze. Tucker Bougie walked on four pitches to load the bases for Crawford who jumped all over the first pitch he saw for a grand slam over the left field fence.

Joe Williams (1-) made his first start for the Bears, throwing two effective innings. His defense helped him out in both frames by turning a pair of 4-6-3 double plays, two of four Cal’s defense turned on Tuesday. For the evening he threw 2.0 complete, with one hit and one walk.

Stanford (2-2) had their chances, loading the bases in the third and having runners in scoring position in the sixth and the seventh. However, the Cardinal went just 4-for-20 with runners on base and 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Daniel Colwell and Christian Becerra were fantastic in the late innings for the Bears. Colwell went 2.2 innings and scattered two hits, two runs, with a walk and a strikeout. Becerra entered in the seventh and quickly got the Bears back into the dugout thanks to a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. Becerra threw the final 2.2 innings and scattered a hit and a walk while striking out four.

Taking the loss for the Cardinal was starter Toran O’Harran who lasted just one inning, surrendering four hits, and four runs, all earned with two walks and two strikeouts.

Cal added two more in the fifth when Lomavita crushed his second home run of the season. A two-run blast on a hanging breaking ball over the left field fence. Lomavita added his third RBI of the game in the top of the seventh when he singled to center field, scoring Dom Souto.

The win for the Bears is their first over a top-5 team since Cal defeated Stanford 18-2 on May 11, 2019.

UP NEXT

Cal makes its 2023 home debut on Friday for the first day of the Cal Baseball Classic when the Bears host Cal Poly. Friday’s contest is scheduled to start at 3:05 p.m. The Mustangs will play UConn later that evening.