The California Golden Bears baseball team secured a 5-4 victory over Sacramento State on Friday night at Stu Gordon Stadium, coming back from a four-run deficit. The win was sealed by Jordy Lopez, who hit his first career home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
This marks Cal’s first Friday win of the season and extends their winning streak to four games, improving their record to 6-3. Sacramento State dropped to 3-6 after suffering consecutive losses.
Cal’s starting pitcher, junior Oliver de la Torre, delivered five innings with two hits and one walk allowed while striking out five batters. He began with 3.2 hitless innings but ran into trouble in the fourth when three defensive errors led to four unearned runs for Sacramento State.
Early in the game, Cal had opportunities with runners in scoring position during the first three innings but failed to score as Sac State starter Ethan Lay kept them off the board. The breakthrough came in the fifth inning when catcher Hideki Prather extended his hitting streak to seven games and recorded his third home run of the season, reducing Sacramento State’s lead to 4-1.
In the sixth inning, designated hitter Daniel Murillo hit his first Division I home run, followed by shortstop Jett Kenady driving in another run with an RBI groundout that brought Cal within one run.
Reliever Quinn Larson pitched three scoreless innings in relief of de la Torre, allowing just two hits and striking out three without issuing any walks.
Sacramento State brought in right-hander Kurt Marton—originally scheduled as Saturday’s starter—in the seventh inning. In response, Cal’s Cade Campbell tied the game in the eighth with a home run that landed atop the Recreational Sports Facility roof. Campbell finished 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI; he has now collected a hit in all nine games this season.
Senior closer Cole Clark (2-0) retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to earn his second win of the year. The Cal pitching staff did not allow any earned runs during the game and limited Sacramento State to four hits and one walk.
Lopez stepped up for Cal in the bottom of the ninth and homered over the right field wall on his second pitch seen, completing Cal’s comeback for their third walk-off win at Stu Gordon Stadium this season.
“All three of the Bears’ wins at Stu Gordon Stadium have come via a walk-off,” according to team sources.
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