Bears Take Game 1 Thanks to the Long Ball
BERKELEY – Through four innings the California baseball team was on the receiving end of a stellar pitching performance from Connecticut starter Garrett Coe. That all changed abruptly in the fourth inning when Rodney Green Jr. led off the frame with the first of four Golden Bear home runs. In the end, Cal took game one of the series 8-4 Friday evening at Stu Gordon Stadium.
In the top of the first inning, Connecticut (2-2) got on the board thanks to a solo home run by Jake Studley. Cal (4-1) starter Trey Newmann struggled with his command in his home debut. He hit three batters and surrendered five hits and three runs over 2.1 innings.
The Huskies added two more runs in the second when Newmann loaded the bases and surrendered a two-run double to Ryan Daniels that scored a pair. Jake Guardiancic entered the game with two on and one out but was able to stop the bleeding, getting a pair of ground balls to end the threat.
Coe (1-1) was brilliant in the early going, striking out eight batters through three innings. In the home half, he struck out the side. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the wheels came off.
Green started the rally with a solo home run on the first pitch of the inning. A line drive down the right field line for his third of the year and 23rd of his career. Peyton Schulze followed that up with a mammoth blast over the left-field fence for his first home run of the year to make it 3-2.
The rally continued when Jarren Advincula reached with a single on a bunt down the first base line. He moved into scoring position by stealing second and moving to third on the errant throw by Coe on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on the dropped fly ball off the bat of Alec Ritch. Ritch scored the fourth run of the inning on a two-out double by PJ Moutzouridis.
With the Bears out front, 4-3, Christian Becerra (2-0) surrendered a solo home run to Matt Garbowski. The home run was the lone blemish on Becerra’s outing solid outing. The reliever went four complete scattering three hits while striking out six to earn the win. Connor Sullivan pitched the final two innings striking out three. Cal’s pitching staff struck out 10 batters for the fourth time this season.
Junior Seth Gwynn got the Bears back in the lead in the bottom of the fifth when he smashed a two-run home run for his first career hit. He becomes the second Cal player to hit a home run for his first collegiate base hit this season. Freshman Ryan Tayman capped off the scoring hitting a massive two-run home run in the seventh inning, his third of the year.
UP NEXT
The series resumes tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. for game two of the three-game series. Saturday’s game will be streamed on the Cal Live Stream. The Bears are scheduled to start LHP Luke Short, and UCONN is countering with RHP Ian Cooke.