Bears Drop Game Two To No. 13 Bruins

BERKELEY – Hance Smith homered for the third time this weekend but California could not match a 19-hit effort by No. 13 UCLA in a 9-4 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Stu Gordon Stadium.
 
The Bruins got to Cal starter Joseph King early and often, tagging him with five runs on 10 hits through the first five innings on the way to knotting the weekend series at one game apiece. It was the first time since March 12 that the Golden Bears (19-19, 10-10 Pac-12) lost a game started by King (3-2).
 
UCLA (26-12, 10-7) extended a 5-2 lead by three with a seven-hit sixth inning against Cal reliever Connor Sullivan. Three combined shutout innings from Nick Proctor – who struck out four – and Vaughn Mauterer quelled the Bruins' bats over the final third of the contest.
 
The Bears churned out 11 hits of their own but went just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position a day after smacking five home runs in an 8-3 series-opening victory. Smith roped a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the first to give Cal a short-lived advantage while Rodney Green Jr. left the yard with a pinch-hit solo shot in the sixth.
 
Smith, who had a two-home run effort in Friday's win, has now gone deep in three straight games and ranks second on the team with seven long balls this season. He went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and one run scored in the loss.
 
UP NEXT
Cal and UCLA go head-to-head once more in a rubber match at 1 p.m. PT Sunday at Stu Gordon Stadium.
 
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