Bears Erupt For 14 Runs In Win Over Gaels

MORAGA – The California baseball team’s offense came back to life in a big way on Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Bears came back twice to defeat Saint Mary’s 14-11 in a back-and-forth game on Wednesday afternoon at Lous Guisto Field.

Cal (17-14) scored a run in all but three innings and got plenty of run production from the first five hitters. PJ Moutzouridis, Jarren Advincula, and Peyton Schulze all finished the day with three hits. Schulze was the big bat in the middle of the order for the Bears. He finished 3-for-6 with five RBI. Seth Gwynn slugged his third home run of the season that helped reignite the Cal offense.

Saint Mary’s (19-12) did not make it easy on the Cal pitching staff. The Gaels finished the afternoon with 13 hits and had big innings in the bottom of the third and seventh.  Nathan Chong was one of four hitters to collect multiple hits. He went 3-for-5 with five RBI.

The Bears put their struggles with runners on base behind them early when Schulze smashed a double down the line to score a pair in the bottom of the first. Cal added a run in the top of the second when Advincula smashed a double to right center that scored Nico Button from second. Cal finished the day going 10-for-22 with runners on base and 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

The Bears pitching staff could not get the shutdown inning they needed. The Gaels scored a run in the first, a run in the second, and took the lead in the third, scoring five runs – three coming on a home run from Chong.

Gwynn put a spark in the Golden Bear dugout in the fifth with a 2-run home run that cut the deficit to one. Cal retook the lead in the sixth inning thanks to a 2-out single by Schulze with the bases loaded that scored a pair.  

The lead did not last for long. In the bottom of the seventh, the Gaels scored four runs on five hits. Connor Harrison knocked in the go-ahead run with a single through the left side. Chong singled to left field to plate two more and make it 11-8.  

The Bears took the lead for good in the top of the eighth inning. Cal batted through the order, scoring six runs on seven hits. Caleb Lomavita, Rodney Green Jr., Schulze, and Gwynn all had RBIs in the inning. Green had a solid day at the plate, he went 1-for-3 with three walks, he scored three runs, and stole two bases.

Cal used eight pitchers with the final three of Logan Piper (1-0), Tom Mayer, and Austin Turkington all putting up zeros. The win went to Piper who entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and recorded the final out via a strikeout. Mayer went 1.2 innings scattering a hit with a pair of strikeouts. Turkington got the save – his first of the year, getting the final out of the contest.

The loss went to Justin Santiago (0-1) who entered the game in the top of the eighth and allowed three runs on three hits and did not record an out.

Cal travels to the Palouse this weekend for a three-game series against Washington State. Friday’s game will be televised on Pac-12 Washington and is scheduled for a 6:05 first pitch.