TUCSON, Ariz. – By the time the 2018 season comes around, the memory of a season-ending win at Arizona might not be the first thing on the collective mind of the Cal baseball team.
 
But, after a season in which a young group grew and matured together, a 7-4 victory over the No. 15 Wildcats to clinch a series win and close the season provided the most positive of energies as the Bears left Hi Corbett Field not only optimistic for the future but anxious to continue an upward trajectory easy to spot by season's end.
 
On this particular occasion, Cal (25-29, 15-15 Pac-12) needed contributions from a host of different players to overcome an early deficit. Single runs in the first and second inning and two more in the fourth put Arizona (37-19, 16-14) up 4-0 as the teams headed to the middle innings.
 
The comeback bid started one inning later. RBI singles by Cameron Eden and Ripken Reyes cut the deficit in half and gave a bit of momentum back to the Bears. Two innings later, that slight opening turned into a door big enough to walk through as Cal plated three more runs to take the lead.
 
Back to back doubles by Tanner Dodson and Matt Ruff brought one run home, a single by Eden kept the rally going and Reyes made the chance count, lining a 1-1 pitch from Rio Gomez down the left field line for a double. Ruff scored easily and Eden came all the way around from first to give Cal the 5-4 lead.
 
While the offense worked to come back, Aaron Shortridge did his part to make a rally possible. The sophomore right-hander came in to start the fifth inning and didn't exit until the ninth, spinning four tremendous innings without allowing a run.
 
Cal got some much-needed insurance in the top of the ninth courtesy of sophomore Korey Lee. Batting with two on and two out, Lee turned a 1-2 pitch from Tylor Megill into a double down the right field line that brought Eden and Dodson in to score.

"There's a new hero every day, like Esky says," Shortridge said. "Every single guy that came through today, we would expect that of them. We believe in them. That's just who we are and that's who our team is."
 
Armed with a 7-4 lead, Cal went back to the bullpen and managed to quiet Arizona's last-ditch effort. Andrew Buckley got the first two outs and, with the bases loaded and the tying run at first, senior Ian Lutz produced the biggest out of his Cal career as he got Sawyer Gieseke to ground out to Eden to end the game.
 
Cal out-hit Arizona 10-8, led by two-hit days from Ruff, Eden and Reyes. The series win is Cal's first over a ranked opponent on the road since the Bears took two of three at USC in 2015. And, by drawing back to .500 in Pac-12 play, the Bears finished one game better in conference than they did in 2016.

"It's huge to do it now with this team and not have to wait a year to win a series against a quality team on the road. To already have that box checked is something to build off of," Cal head coach David Esquer said. "That's what we're building off of, the things that we've done the last three weeks. I give our guys credit to come out on a day like today, last game of the season and we're out of it and go down 4-0. They're tuning up for the playoffs and you stay in there and battle. We've got to use everybody we have just to make it through the game and we found enough to dig this game out. I'm extremely proud of our guys. That says a lot about our program and the kids that we have here."