Cal takes 2 out of 3 from USC, loses to Pacific

In a tightly contested series that featured some extra curriculars between both teams, Cal took 2 out of 3 from the hated USC Trojans. They followed that with a Tuesday game against Pacific, which they lost. A look at the 4 games:

The opener started poorly, as Bear ace Erik Johnson had a poor start in an otherwise excellent season. He gave up 3 runs in the first 3 innings, and quickly was out of the game after 5 innings of 5 run ball. Andrew Triggs allowed 5 runs in just 4.1 innings, but the battle of the bullpens was won by USC. Logan Scott took the loss for the Bears, as he gave up 4 runs. Chadd Krist led the team with a 2 for 4 day with a double, while Devin Rodriguez went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI’s as well. Expecting a sweep is unrealistic, so dropping the first game wasn’t terrible.

A team looking for revenge entered Game 2. Scoring 6 runs in the first inning set the right tone, as the Bears dominated all day long. Led by Rodriguez’s home run and the stellar pitching of Justin Jones, Cal took home the game 9-2. Jones threw a complete game with 12 strikeouts, one of his most dominating performances yet in his career.

Cal played a poor early game, falling behind 2-0. A 4 run fifth, and then a final 3 run rally in the seventh helped put the Trojans away for a 9-6 Cal victory. There was some jawing between Cal catcher Chadd Krist and USC first basemen Ricky Oropesa, who both homered. Krist got the upper hand, as his team took home the victory. Dixon Anderson struggled at points, but he gave his team a chance to earn a victory. Kyle Porter, Kevin Miller, and Matt Flemer all provided solid relief in the victory.

A Tuesday game against Pacific provided a perfect trap, which the Bears fell in. Despite Marcus Semien’s stellar night, the Bears fell 7-4. Kevin Miller struggled, although 3 unearned runs cost his team tremendously. Pacific used 6 pitchers in order to shut the Bears down. The Bears trailed 6-0 at one point, and it was truly a poor performance. Losses will happen, so it’s not too damaging.

The Bears went 2-2 in 4 games against some poor teams, which is disappointing. But now there are bigger fish to fry, as nationally ranked Arizona awaits this weekend. Go Bears!