The Golden Bears welcomed the No. 8 Ducks to Evans Diamond with a .318 team batting average on the season. In game one of the series, Cal’s batting average wasn’t quite that high, but their nine hits and two home runs were plenty to best the Ducks 9-3.
Oregon starter Cole Irvin entered conference play with a 0.60 ERA in 15.0 IP with 10 strikeouts. Friday, Irvin picked up a loss in pitching 3.0 IP, allowing 4 hits and 4 runs (2 earned) in game one of the series.
Cal came out swinging from the opening inning.
With two outs and the bases clear, Cal’s Lucas Erceg walked and advanced to second on a balk. Then Brett Cumberland doubled to left field to score the game’s first run. Cumberland reached third on an Irvin error. Next, Chris Paul doubled to right field, scoring the second run of the inning. But he’d be stranded at second.
Then, in the third, the Bears batted for two runs. With one out and the bases loaded, Nick Halamandaris reached on a fielder’s choice to score Erceg and Cumberland on an error by Mark Karaviotis on the play. Both runs were unearned.
In the fourth, Oregon’s Conor Harber came in relief of Irvin, but Cal’s hot bats never wavered.
Brian Celsi, who entered hitting .563 with 10 RBI in his last four games, doubled down the right field line to score Aaron Knapp and Preston Grand Pre from first and second, respectively.
Then in the fifth and sixth, the Bears added to their 6-0 lead with two solo home runs in each inning from Max Dutto and Chris Paul.
In the top of the seventh, Oregon’s offense made some noise.
After a leadoff single from Eureste and Mitchell Tolman reaching base after getting hit by the pitch, Brandon Cuddy singled through the right side to score Eureste. A Shaun Chase RBI single soon followed, knocking Cal starter Jeff Bain out of the game.
Then, with two outs, Karaviotis singled to right field to score Cuddy.
But then, Oregon went silent.
Cal added a run in the eighth en route to their convincing 9-3 win in their conference opener.
Bain was awarded the win in his 6.1 innings of work. He allowed five hits and three runs (all earned) while striking out a batter.
Game two of the series begins Saturday in Berkeley, California at 6 p.m.
Follow Andrew Bantly on Twitter @andrewbantly