Bears Take Series With Offensive Outburst

BERKELEY – California scored five or more runs in three different innings as it rolled to a series-clinching 23-5 win over New Mexico on Saturday afternoon at Stu Gordon Stadium.
 
Thirteen different Golden Bears tallied at least one of Cal's season-high 21 hits, including Hance Smith (career-high 4-for-5) and three hits apiece from Nathan Manning and Rodney Green Jr. The 23 runs were the most scored in a single game by the Bears since a 23-2 victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 24, 2018.
 
Cal (24-25) secured the series with the win and has outscored the Lobos 34-5 through the first two games.
 
After missing his first game of the season on Friday due to an illness, Caleb Lomavita opened the scoring onslaught with a two-run double in the opening frame. New Mexico (19-30) cut the lead in half in the second inning before a three-run home run by Green Jr. and a two-run shot by Trevor Tishenkel – his second home run of the series – extended Cal's lead to 7-1 in the third.
 
Three of the Bears' six doubles came off the bats of Green Jr., Nathan Martorella and Smith in a five-run sixth inning. Martorella's hit streak reached 14 consecutive games with his sixth-inning double; the first baseman drew three walks and scored three times on Saturday.
 
Cal's nine runs in the seventh inning were its most in a single inning since plating 10 in the sixth inning of a 20-5 win over Santa Clara on March 8, 2011. Garret Nielsen capped the big inning with his first career home run, a three-run blast to left field. Manning delivered the final blow of the day with a two-run shot in the eighth.
 
Tishenkel (2-for-3) drove in three runs and reached base in all four plate appearances, drawing two walks in addition to his two-hit effort. Green Jr. (3-for-5) finished with a career-high four RBI and scored three times while two of Smith's career-high four hits were double. Freshmen Andres Galan and Tucker Bougie contributed in their first career plate appearances; Galan doubled and scored on Manning's home run in the eighth while Bougie plated Martorella with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
 
Cal's 21 hits were its most since tallying 24 at Washington on May 23, 2019.
 
With plenty of run support on hand, four Cal pitchers combined for seven strikeouts to just one walk. Joseph King (4-3) needed just six pitches to work through the first frame and earn the win as Cal's designated "opener". The Bears led 2-0 before turning it over to Sam Stoutenborough, who scattered three runs on six hits over the following five innings. Mitchell Scott and Josh White handled the final three innings.
 
UP NEXT
Cal will go for a series sweep of New Mexico at 1 p.m. PT Sunday. Sunday's series finale is Bark at the Park day. Fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to Stu Gordon Stadium for a pre-game pup parade on the field at 12:30 p.m. PT ahead of first pitch. To purchase tickets for Bark at the Park and to download the required waiver for entry with dogs, please visit calbears.com/pupclub.
 
STAY POSTED
For coverage of Cal baseball, please follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalBaseball), Instagram (@CalBaseball) and Facebook (/CalBaseball/).