BERKELEY, Calif. -- The 13th-ranked Arizona State baseball team fell to Cal 3-1 in the series opener Friday night at Evans Diamond.
The Sun Devils (30-15-1, 12-10) took a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning before the bears scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to take a two-run advantage, 3-1. ASU brought the winning run to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth, but a swinging strikeout on a full count by third baseman Michael Benjamin ended the late rally.
Starting right-hander Trevor Williams (5-5) took a one-hitter into the sixth inning but gave up the three runs in the eighth to take the loss. He conceded six hit and three walks, and struck out five, and at one point retired 10 in a row from the third frame to the sixth.
Third baseman Michael Benjamin led the way with two hits as he collected his 20th multi-hit game of the season, and center fielder Kasey Coffman broke up the scoreless tie with one out in the top of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly to left field that brought home shortstop Drew Stankiewiczand gave ASU a 1-0 lead.
Cal took the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a trio of two-out runs. The Golden Bears (22-16, 10-15) began the inning with a leadoff single and tied the game at one run with an RBI single four batters later following a sacrifice bunt, a strikeout and a walk. Another walk in the following at-bat loaded the bases for designated hitter Devon Rodriguez, who drove a two-run single down the left-field line for the eventual game-winning runs.
Williams was pulled after conceding the single to Rodriguez and was replaced by right-hander Darin Gillies, who walked one batter to again load the bases. Left-hander Matt Dunbar then took over and induced a flyout to left field to end the eighth.
First baseman Dalton DiNatale led off the seventh with an infield single and Stankiewicz walked, but DiNatale was thrown out at third on an attempted sacrifice bunt by left fielder Jake Peevyhouse. A wild pitch by right-handed reliever Logan Scott then moved Stankiewicz to third before he scored on Coffman's sacrifice fly to plate the first run of the game.
Cal reliever Logan Scott earned the win (4-2) after allowing one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Dylan Nelson (3) collected the save thanks to his game-ending strikeout.
Bears starting right-hander Ryan Mason was replaced with two runners on and one out in the seventh inning after allowing five hits and three walks in 6 1/3 scoreless frames.
