March 31, 2009

Final Stats

GALLERY

(San Francisco, CA) - USF baseball fell for the first time in Dante Benedetti Classic history, 4-3 to California at AT&T Park on Tuesday night. In three previous contests, the Dons won, including a 5-1 win over then No. 7 Cal in 2008, a 6-2 victory over Santa Clara in 2007, and a 7-6 come-from-behind win over Cal in the inaugural game in 2006.

USF (11-17) put up a fight in the bottom of the ninth. Down 4-1, pinch hitter Bobby Ethel walked and advanced to third on senior left fielder Zach Kim's single to left. A wild pitch from Cal junior Blake Smith moved both runners up and narrowed the score to 4-2. Kim advanced to third on sophomore center fielder Connor Bernatz's ground out, then scored on junior shortstop Derek Poppert's single to center. Down just one at 4-3, senior right fielder Drew Johnson doubled to right to put runners on second and third, but Cal was able to shut down the rally with senior third baseman Dane Braunecker's ground out.

Cal got on the board first, plating two in the fourth off a solo homerun from Smith and two consecutive singles from sophomore Mark Canha and junior Jeff Kobernus. In the fifth, junior Brett Jackson struck out swinging, but Dons junior catcher Ryan Lipkin missed the ball. Lipkin tried to throw Jackson out at first, but the ball sailed far into the right field corner, allowing Jackson to round the bases and put Cal up 3-0. The Bears added an insurance run in the eighth off an RBI single from sophomore Brian Guinn.

San Francisco scored their first run in the sixth on an RBI double to left center from sophomore first baseman Stephen Yarrow.

Dons junior LHP Garrett Luippold (0-3) took the loss in relief, giving up three runs (two earned) off three hits, and struck out three Bears. Freshman right-hander Cameron Love started and did not allow a run off two hits and a walk in 2.1 innings. Junior righty Alex Kalogrides allowed the Bears final run off three hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Junior LHP Joe Anderson and freshman RHP Kyle Lawton each tossed a scoreless inning in the contest. Anderson had one strikeout.

For the Bears, sophomore right-hander Kevin Miller (1-1) earned the victory, giving up one earned run off five hits, with two walks and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

Yarrow led the Dons at the plate with a double, a single and an RBI. Poppert singled and drove in a run. Johnson doubled, and Kim, Bernatz, Braunecker, and junior second baseman Robert Abel each added singles.

Both teams had eight hits on the night, but Cal was more efficient at bringing them around as they left just five on base to USF's 12.

USF continues non-conference action on Wednesday, traveling to Bakersfield for a 2:00 PM meeting.