Big Fifth Inning Keys Cal Past Utah Baseball

BERKELEY, Calif. – Four Utes had multi-hit outings, but an eight-run fifth inning for California proved to be too much to overcome for the Utah baseball team as the team fell in the series opener, 13-1, on Thursday night at Stu Gordon Stadium.
 
Utah (26-25-1, 10-18 Pac-12) saw a three-hit performance from center fielder Dakota Duffalo, followed up with two apiece off the bats of third baseman Chase Anderson, left fielder TJ Clarkson and catcher Davis Cop. Anderson hit a solo homer during his 16th multi-hit game of the year.
 
Cal was on the board first with a solo home run by Nathan Martorella in the bottom of the third. But Anderson countered the long ball right away, clubbing the first pitch of the fourth inning over the left center field fence for Anderson's seventh homer of the season and tying the score at one.
 
The home club broke the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth, tallying eight runs. Cal batted around in the frame, breaking the game open with a grand slam by Dom Souto.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Utes earned a chance to claw back by way of two walks and an error, but a line drive with the bases loaded gave Cal an inning-ending double play. The Bears added four more runs in the home half of the seventh to bring the game to its final score.
 
Matthew Sox (4-5) went four-plus innings in the start, before being relieved on the hill. Joseph King (5-3) got the win for the Golden Bears.
 
With Thursday's result in the books, Utah must win both the middle and final games of the series at Cal in order to reach next week's Pac-12 Tournament. Utah and Cal will continue the series on Friday at Stu Gordon Stadium. It'll be an 8 p.m. MT first pitch with the ballgame airing on Pac-12 Mountain.
 
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