BERKELEY, Calif. – For a guy who hadn't hit a walk-off home run since Little League, Andrew Vaughn is starting to look mighty comfortable when given a chance to make an unforgettable impression.
 
After USC rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to force extra innings, Vaughn got his second chance in three days to make a game-changing impact and the freshman delivered again, belting a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10^th inning to give the Bears an 8-6 win and a third-consecutive home series sweep over a Pac-12 opponent.
 
With a walk-off grand slam on Friday having already established Vaughn's weekend as heroic, the Santa Rosa, Calif. native strode to the plate again Sunday with a chance to do something big. Just like Friday, Jeffrey Mitchell, Jr. played an instrumental role in the proceedings, working a hard-fought walk with one out to put a man on first ahead of Vaughn.
 
Facing the same pitcher as Friday in USC pitcher Bryce Dyrda, Vaughn took an off-speed pitch to get settled and then let loose, sending a 1-0 offering deep over the wall in left field to bring Mitchell around and touch off another celebration at Evans Diamond.
 
"This weekend was all about picking each other up," Vaughn said. "First two nights, we have a game-tying home run in the eighth inning and we get the win. Just all-around a great team weekend. Getting the sweep was awesome and it gives us some momentum going into next weekend."
 
Sunday's game-winning home run capped an incredible week statistically for Vaughn. With Tuesday's non-conference game against Stanford included, the freshman went 7 for 15 (.467) with three home runs, three runs and 12 RBI. Against USC alone, Vaughn went 6 for 12 (.500) with three home runs, three runs scored and 10 RBI.
 
"(Xavier) Nady was pretty darn locked in for some time and I've had a couple teammates that were in that zone but that's just special," Cal head coach David Esquer said. "You don't see that too often."
 
Until USC rallied in the ninth, Cal (19-18, 11-7 Pac-12) looked to be headed for a relatively straightforward win thanks in large part to the efforts of Sunday starter Matt Ladrech. The junior southpaw made big pitch after big pitch as he carried the Bears into the eighth inning and allowed just two runs along the way. He scattered eight hits, struck out two and walked two.
 
Redshirt junior Andrew Buckley got the win, his second of the series and of his career, by pitching a scoreless 10^th inning. Cal collected 15 hits as a team, led by three-hit days for Vaughn, Tyrus Greene and Tanner Dodson. The Bears finished the weekend with 39 hits and hit .361 as a club as that same trio each ended the series with six hits apiece.
 
The victory also pushed Cal's home record to a strong 15-6 this season and ran the Bears' Pac-12 winning streak at Evans Diamond to 10. The Bears will look to carry that momentum forward into a Tuesday non-conference trip to San Francisco. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
"They've all been big. I think that next step, and I belabor the point and you don't want to make it bigger than it really is, but to be able to do it home and away," Esquer said. "It is big that you can beat these types of clubs at home but you've got to do it other places. Our guys are relishing the fact that we can play this type of baseball and they're really looking forward to testing themselves. I tell them all the time, it's like strength training. You stress it until failure and then you've got to come back stronger."