April 25, 2008
TEMPE, ARIZ. - In a back and forth game between two Top-10 nationally ranked teams, the No. 7 California baseball team fell to No. 6-ranked Arizona State, 11-7, Friday night at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The Golden Bears had held a 7-4 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning, but yielded a run in the fifth, four runs in the sixth and single runs in the seventh and eighth innings for the final 11-7 score. Cal dropped to 27-11-2 overall and 7-6 in the Pac-10. The Sun Devils improved to 33-7 and 8-5 in league play.
The losing pitcher for the Bears was junior right-hander Tyson Ross (6-2), who threw 5.1 innings with eight hits, eight earned runs, five walks and five strikeouts. The winning pitcher for ASU was starter Mike Leake, who had a complete game to improve his record to 7-1, going 9.0 innings with 11 hits, five earned runs, four walks and six strikeouts.
Cal scored a run in the first inning on sophomore center fielder Brett Jackson's RBI single, and then tallied four runs in the second inning via Cutler getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, sophomore third baseman Jeff Kobernus scoring on a fielding error by Leake, senior second baseman Josh Satin getting a fielder's choice RBI and Jackson driving in another run with a single.
Neither team scored in the third and fourth innings. The Bears then went ahead, 7-4, with two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by sophomore right fielder Blake Smith and an RBI bunt single by sophomore designated hitter Rich Gorman.
ASU answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth on Brett Wallace's solo home run to center field. The Sun Devils then took over the lead, 9-7, with four runs in the sixth when Raoul Lopez scored on a Ross balk, Wallace hit an RBI single and Kiel Roling added a two-run single. ASU tacked on insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
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Both teams finished with 11 hits. Cutler went 3-for-4 for the Bears with an RBI, while Gorman, Smith and Jackson (two RBI) had two hits apiece for Cal.
The Bears will next play the second game of the three-game series at ASU, Saturday, Apr. 26 at 6 p.m. at Packard Stadium.
Home Runs:
Cal: None.
Arizona State: Wallace, solo home run in the fifth inning.
