Galan Masterful As Bears Defeat Huskies

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Starting pitcher Andres Galan (5-2) turned in a masterful performance tossing 6.1 innings of 2-hit baseball. Meanwhile, the Golden Bear offense took care of business as Cal defeated Washington 12-0 in seven innings on Tuesday evening at the Pac-12 Baseball Championships.

Galan, making his seventh start of the season, came within two outs of throwing his first career complete game shutout. The 6.1 innings pitched is a new career-high for the native of Elk Grove. In the top of the seventh, a leadoff walk and a 1-out single to Carson Ohland put two aboard for Washington (19-30-1). It was the only time all evening they had a runner in scoring position. Galan allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Cal (35-18) scored their runs in bunches, scoring three in the third, four in the fifth, and five in the sixth. The Bears pounded out 15 hits on the evening – seven for extra bases. For the first time since April 15, 2022, Cal hit two triples in a game, one from Caleb Lomavita and the other from Max Handron.

Handron led the Bears going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Lomavita went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, he also notched his 13th double of the season – a new career-high. Rodney Green Jr., Seth Gwynn, PJ Moutzouridis, and Jag Burden also had multiple hits on the evening.

Washington stater Calvin Kirchoff (4-5) and Galan traded zeroes in the first and second innings. Kirchoff could not get out of the fifth and went just 4.0+ innings, allowing eight hits, and six runs – all earned, with two walks and three strikeouts.

Cal broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third. Jarren Advincula led off the frame jumping all over a 1-0 offering and launching it into the Bears’ bullpen in right field. The home run from Advincula was his fifth of the year. Three batters later, Moutzouridis doubled down the left field line with two outs that allowed Green Jr. to score easily. Handron capped off the rally with an RBI single to right field that knocked in Moutzouridis.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Bears blew it open, scoring four runs on five hits. The big hits in the evening were an RBI triple from Handron to right center and an RBI double off the left field fence for Burden. Cal added five more in the bottom of the sixth to ensure the Bears had a 10-run lead after seven.

Galan kept methodically recording outs. With all the run support he would need he retired 11 in a row from the third through the sixth inning.

Christian Becerra entered the game in the top of the seventh with one out and two on. After hitting the first batter he faced, he proceeded to strike out the next two batters to leave the bags full and end the game.

Cal returns to action on Thursday when they take on top-seed Arizona with a chance to advance to the semifinals on the line. Thursday’s game is slated for a 7 p.m. first pitch and will be televised on Pac-12 Network.