CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.— Strong pitching and clutch, timely hitting led the California baseball team to its first top 25 win of the season Friday as the Golden Bears defeated No. 23 Virginia 7-4 on the road at Disharoon Field.
The Bears (26-23, 9-16 ACC) got off to a hot start in the first inning with shortstop Jett Kenady crushing a solo shot in his first at-bat back from injury. The freshman made his first start since April 28 and gave Cal an early 1-0 lead with his ninth home run of the season.
In the top of the second the bottom of the lineup kept the inning alive and loaded the bases on a two-out rally for catcher Hideki Prather who took the first pitch he saw deep to right center for his second grand slam of the year. His team-leading 11th jack put the Bears ahead 5-0.
The Cavaliers (32-17, 12-13 ACC) quickly responded in the bottom half with a grand slam of their own before an out was even recorded to cut the lead to 5-4.
From there the two starting pitchers coasted through the next four innings with neither allowing a runner to get into scoring position. Cal’s Oliver de la Torre (5-5) picked up the win in his six innings of work with four earned runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts while the Cavaliers’ Henry Zatkowski (6-1) suffered his first loss of the year.
Kenady came within a foot of his second homer in the top of seventh, doubling off the top of the left field wall against UVA’s Lucas Hartman, who is D1Baseball’s fourth-ranked relief pitcher in the nation and a NCBWA Stopper of the Year semifinalist. That two-out extra-base hit set up the play of the game as after Lawson Olmstead walked to load the bases, team RBI leader Daniel Murillo stepped to the plate.
After working a full count Cal’s most timely hitter came up clutch again taking an outside pitch to shallow right field for a two-run single that cushioned the Bears’ lead at 7-4.
Despite multiple Bear bats coming up big in big moments, senior Cole Clark was truly the player in the game. The right-hander entered in the seventh and took the ball from de la Torre, who had just hung four straight zeroes, and Clark followed suit with a three-inning save. Clark allowed just one hit in his three scoreless innings and struck out the side in the ninth to give him five punchouts in the outing.
Parther and Kenady both ended 2-for-5 with a home run and third baseman Cade Campbell went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
The Bears and Hoos are back at The Dish for Game 2 tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT on ACCNX.
