Bears Falter Late At USF
SAN FRANCISCO – California surrendered nine runs from the seventh inning on as San Francisco handed the Golden Bears a 10-6 loss in game three of the weekend series on Saturday at Benedetti Diamond.
The Bears led 4-1 entering the seventh, largely due to the performance on the mound by Sean Sullivan, who held the Dons to just three hits through six frames. The right-hander wouldn't earn a decision, however, as he got into trouble in the seventh on a home run by USF's Ryan Davis, which cut the Cal lead to 4-2. After a double and a strikeout in the following at bats, Sullivan was relieved by Nick Proctor, who hit the first batter he faced before allowing a go-ahead, three-run home run to Jack Winkler, making it a 5-4 Dons lead.
USF (3-3) tacked on another five runs in the home half of the eighth to extend its lead to 10-4. Cal (3-4) plated a pair of runs in the top of the ninth with an RBI double by Keshawn Ogans and an RBI single from Darren Baker, but it was too little too late.
Sullivan finished with a career-high 10 strikeouts and just three runs allowed on five hits over 6.1 innings of work. Proctor (1-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs over his one inning of work.
Cal scored three times in the third as Ogans drove in Steven Zobac with a single, followed by a sacrifice fly from Baker and Brian McClellin run on a fielder's choice play. The Bears added another run in the fourth, again off the bat of Ogans, who plated Hance Smith with a sacrifice fly.
Ogans finished with three RBI in a 2-for-3 effort, his first multi-hit game of the year. Zobac and Smith scored twice apiece while Baker drove in his first two runs of the season in a 1-for-4 performance.
UP NEXT
The four-game series concludes at 1 p.m. PT Sunday at Benedetti Diamond. Cal is aiming for its first series win of the season, having won the first two contests in Berkeley on Thursday and Friday.
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