Bears Blast Ducks In Series Opener

EUGENE, ORE. – The California baseball team has opened Pac-12 play 4-0 for the first time since 2013 thanks to a 13-1 win over host Oregon on Friday night at PK Park. The Golden Bears got a brilliant pitching performance from starter Luke Short (2-0) who got all the run support he needed in the top of the first inning.

Cal (12-3, 4-0 Pac-12) smashed four home runs on the day, two from catcher Caleb Lomavita. It is the third time this season the Bears have hit four home runs in a game. Also hitting home runs were PJ Moutzouridis and Matthew Thomas. But the run production didn’t come solely from the long ball. Cal pounded out 13 runs on 12 hits.  

Cal wasted little getting on the scoreboard. Moutzouridis led off the top of the first working a leadoff walk. Two batters later Lomavita connected on the first of his two home runs, smashing a ball off the batter's eye in center field for his seventh home run of the season and 30th of his career. Four innings later, Lomavita struck again, launching a 1-1 offering over the left field fence for his eighth of the season. The two home runs give Lomavita 31 for his career which ties him with David Cooper (2007-08) for ninth all-time in program history.  

In the top of the third, the Bears put the game away. Jarren Advincula singled to center field to start the frame. The next batter was Moutzouridis, who extended his hitting streak to eight games, pulling a ball down the left field line for a 2-run home run, his third of the year. The inning continued with a two-out double by Max Handron, who scored on a single by Peyton Schulze. Schulze finished the evening going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, he extended his hitting streak to eight games.

The five-run cushion was enough for Short who tossed his second consecutive quality start, going seven complete, scattering seven hits, one earned run allowed, a walk, and five strikeouts.

Offensively, Oregon (11-6, 2-2) could not take advantage of Cal's miscues. The Bears committed a season-high four errors but the Ducks could only capitalize on one. Starter RJ Gordon (1-2) struck out seven in five innings of work but was blasted for six runs on seven hits. He surrendered both home runs to Lomavita and Moutzouridis.

The Ducks scored their lone run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning. Back-to-back singles had runners at the corner for Ryan Cooney who slapped a single into left field that scored Drew Smith from third. Oregon stranded 11 batters on base and hit just 3-for-18 with runners on base.

Late in the contest, Cal continued to add to their lead. Matthew Thomas hit a pinch-hit 2-run home run in the top of the eighth. The Bears scored four more in the ninth thanks to a pair of bases-loaded walks and a 2-run single from Advincula.  

The Bears go for the series win tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. Cal will attempt to start Pac-12 play 5-0 for the first time in modern history. Trey Newmann is scheduled to start for the Bears, Oregon will counter with lefty Grayson Grinsell.