Tuesday in the West

@ San Francisco 5 – Cal 1

Hawaii 5 – @ Stanford 2

@ USC 7 – UC Riverside 5

@ UCLA 6 – San Diego State 2

@ Washington 17 – Portland 6

Media Releases

(San Francisco, CA) – Three games, three wins. AT&T Park has been good to the Dons as they win their third consecutive Dante Benedetti Classic, presented by BMW of San Francisco, 5-1 over No. 7 California (18-6-1) on Tuesday night. San Francisco (17-11) defeated a top 10 opponent for the first time since dispatching No. 9 Nebraska 5-1 in the 2006 Lincoln Regional.

Junior left-hander Evan Fredrickson (3-2) had a career day at AT&T, throwing 13 strikeouts in the win. The Virginia Tech transfer threw 7.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and four walks. Fredrickson got into some trouble in both the second and third, but managed to get out of the innings without allowing a run. Freshman lefty Garrett Luippold gave up the Bears only run in the ninth.

USF had a big first inning, plating five against Bears sophomore starter Chris Petrini (2-2), and held off the Bears the rest of the way. With one out, freshman left fielder Connor Bernatz, senior right fielder Kyle Morgan, senior first baseman Mitchell Bialosky, and sophomore catcher Ryan Lipkin consecutively singled, staking the Dons to an early 1-0 lead. Junior designated hitter Drew Johnson was hit by a pitch, scoring Morgan before junior third baseman Dane Braunecker walked to plate Bialoksy. After a pitching change, sophomore center fielder Bobby Ethel reached base on an error by Bears junior shortstop Michael Brady. Johnson scored on the play to make it 5-0.

Cal threatened in the third, getting bases loaded with two outs, but Fredrickson was able to strike out Brady to end the inning. In the third, Cal had two runners on with two outs, but again Fredrickson was able to strikeout the final batter to get out of trouble. Fredrickson struck out the side in the first and got at least two strikeouts in five innings, and ended five innings with strikeouts.

Cal finally pushed through a run in the top of the ninth. Sophomore catcher Dylan Tonneson doubled to start the frame and moved up a bag when freshman left fielder Mark Canha singled to right. Tonneson then scored on freshman shortstop BJ Quinn’s sacrifice fly.

Bialosky went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Lipkin was also 2-for-4 with a run scored. Bernatz, Morgan, Ethel, and senior shortstop Tavo Hall each singled.

Petrini took the loss for Cal, allowing five runs (four earned) off four hits and one walk in 0.1 inning of work. Four Bears relievers combined to shut out the Dons over the next eight innings. Tonneson had two hits for the Bears.

In the high school game played earlier in the day, Sacred Heart Cathedral defeated St. Ignatius 8-5. USF returns to action on Friday, hosting West Coast Conference rival Loyola Marymount for three at Benedetti Diamond. Friday’s first pitch is set for 3:00 PM.

(Stanford, CA) – The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (10-19) defeated the No. 28 Stanford Cardinal (13-8) 5-2 in front of a crowd of 1,178 at the Sunken Diamond Tuesday. Jayson Kramer (1-1) got the win for the ‘Bows, pitching 2.0 perfect innings. Alex Pracher (0-1) took the loss.

Jonathan Hee led the way, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a double. Greg Garcia added a 3-for-4 game with two runs with Sean Montplaisir and Derek DuPree both going 2-for-4 with a run. Jeffrey Van Doornum added a 3-for-5 game with one RBI.

The Cardinal put up the first run of the game in the bottom of the second, scoring on a bases-loaded double play. But UH came right back in the top of the third as Hee hit a RBI-single to left, tying the score at 1-1.

Stanford took an edge again in the bottom of the fourth, scoring a run to get ahead 2-1. Hee would drive in Garcia again in the top of the seventh, this time on a sacrifice fly, tying the score at 2-2.

Stanford had a great opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Sean Ratliff led off the inning with a triple. But Kramer came into the game, inducing a pop up and a ground out before striking out the final batter of the inning to keep the score tied.

Hee came up big again in the top of the ninth, hitting a sacrifice fly to centerfield to drive in Montplaisir, giving Hawai`i its first lead of the game. Van Doornum then drove in another run before UH scored a third run in the inning on an error, giving the ‘Bows a 5-2 lead. Kramer then held that lead in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the victory.

The Rainbows will next face San Jose State in a four-game series from April 4-6.

(Los Angeles, CA) – Sophomore catcher/pitcher Robert Stock (Westlake Village/Agoura HS) threw 1 1/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts as the USC Trojans scored twice in the eighth for the 7-5 win against the UC Riverside Highlanders at Dedeaux Field. USC (12-14) scored the eventual game-winning run with the bases loaded and two outs after UCR first baseman Ryan Goetz was unable to handle Grant Green’s ground ball.

Stock (1-0) came into the game with runners at first and second with two outs. UCR (7-15) sent the runner at first, but Stock did not bite on the play and with runners at second and third, he struck out Trevor Hairgrove to end the inning. Stock then hit a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth. Freshman third baseman Joe De Pinto later singled and center fielder Nick Buss walked to load the bases for Green, who provided the ground ball that brought home the winner.

At the plate, Stock went 3-for-4 with three singles to raise his season average to .365. Senior transfer Taylor Grigsby (Pacific Palisades/Cal) recorded his first hit as a Trojan on his way to a 3-for-4 night.

Brad Boxberger made the start for the Trojans, going three innings and allowing two unearned runs on one hit with no walks and three strikeouts. Freshman reliever Ryan Cabral went a season-high 4 2/3 innings with five strikeouts.

Carl Uhl opened the game with a grounder to short, but Green’s errant throw put Uhl at second. After Joey Gonzales struck out and Uhl stole third during the out, Drew Garcia hit a grounder that went between senior first baseman Derek Perren’s legs for the Highlanders’ first run. With Garcia at second, Goetz followed with an RBI single to left as the two unearned runs led to a 2-0 UCR lead.

Nick Buss led off the Trojan third with a single to center, followed by a double by Green. Roberto Lopez hit a grounder to third as UCR third baseman Ben Price threw to home to retire Buss. Perren lifted a sacrifice fly to left, cutting the deficit to one before designated hitter Mike Roskopf slammed his fifth homer of the year with a two-run shot to right center.

Green’s RBI single in the fourth made it a 4-2 Trojan lead, but the Highlanders responded with two runs in the fifth. Garcia’s RBI single brought home Hairgrove from third and a Cabral wild pitch tied the game at four apiece as Uhl scored.

Both teams traded a run with UC Riverside making it a 5-5 game in the seventh when the Trojans could not complete a double play as Uhl scored from second.

USC travels to No. 17 San Diego for a nonconference game, starting at 3 p.m. The Trojans then play a Pac-10 series at No. 23 UCLA, Friday-Sunday (April 4-6). Friday’s game starts at 6 p.m. with a 2 p.m. start on Saturday and 1 p.m. start on Sunday. All four games will be broadcast (audio only) on usctrojans.com.

(Los Angeles, CA) – Right-hander Garett Claypool (1-0) logged a career-high six strikeouts in five innings to lead the No. 23 UCLA baseball team past San Diego State, 6-2, Tuesday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Claypool helped the Bruins (13-10) snap San Diego State’s six-game winning streak by limiting the Aztecs (17-11) to one run and one hit.

Catcher Brent Dean led UCLA by establishing career highs with three hits in four at-bats. The Bruins earned their third victory in the last four games and ended a four-game skid in the series against San Diego State.

Second baseman Alden Carrithers continued his hot hitting, raising his team-leading batting average to .394 with a 2-for-4, three-RBI effort. First baseman Casey Haerther went 2-for-4 with one RBI after having gone 9-for-14 in three games at Arizona last weekend.

Center fielder Blair Dunlap and left fielder Chris Giovinazzo each went 1-for-3 with one run. Giovinazzo, making his third consecutive start in left field, contributed one RBI.

Romero led the Aztecs, going 2-for-4 with one run, and second baseman Garett Green went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Aztec right-hander Jon Berger (2-4) was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs and six hits in five innings.

UCLA took the game’s first lead in the third inning, a 2-0 margin, and led the rest of the way. After leading off the third with a single to center, Dean advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Chris Giovinazzo and scored on a base-hit to center by Carrithers. After shortstop Brandon Crawford drew a walk, Haerther singled through the left side to drive home Carrithers.

San Diego State cut the Bruins’ lead in half with one run in the top of the fourth. Third baseman Nick Romero led off the frame with a single to center, moved up two bases on a walk and sacrifice bunt, and scored on a groundout by center fielder Brandon Glover.

UCLA led 3-1 after Dean singled home center fielder Blair Dunlap in the fourth inning. The Bruins’ three-run sixth inning began with designated hitter Ryan Babineau drawing a walk and moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dunlap. A single to left by Dean moved Babineau to third. Giovinazzo’s infield single plated Babineau. Carrithers drove home his second and third runners of the game with a base-hit through the right side, handing UCLA a 6-1 advantage.

The Aztecs added one more run in the eighth inning on an RBI-single by Green.

The Bruins return to action with a three-game home series this weekend against crosstown rival USC. The Bruins and Trojans renew their rivalry Friday at 6 p.m.

Game Notes: Garett Claypool improved to 4-0 in his career when making the start…Claypool recorded a career-high six strikeouts, including four consecutive strikeouts through the second and third innings…Alden Carrithers has hit safely in 19 of the Bruins’ 23 games this spring…Casey Haerther has gone 11-for-18 (.611) in the last four games, registering a 1.000 slugging percentage in that span…Jason Novak pitched two scoreless innings in relief, scattering two hits.

(Seattle, WA) – Freshman Troy Scott hit two home runs and Doug Cherry, Sean Meehan and Julien Pollard each had another as the Washington baseball team overcame an early lead and beat Portland, 17-6, Tuesday night in a non-conference game at Husky Ballpark.

Scott, the Huskies’ first baseman from Auburn, Wash., finished the day 2-for-3 with three runs batted in. UW freshman Forrest Snow (1-0), making his second appearance, picked up the win in relief, allowing one earned run over three innings.

The Pilots (14-15) took a lead in the first inning. After Kevin Armijo reached with a one-out single, left fielder Bryant Kraus belted his fourth homer of the season over the left-field fence to put Portland in front, 2-0. In the third, a groundout from Tyler Thompson with the bases loaded sent home a third UP run.

In the fourth, the Huskies (18-8) took advantage of a crucial error to score five runs. With two on and one out, Aaron Russell’s ground ball to short looked like an inning-ending double play, but Brandon Howard mis-handled the ball and the bases were loaded. Brian Pearl then walked to force in the first Husky run before Joey Dunn’s two-run double tied it. A two-run single from UW shortstop David Bentrott gave Washington a 5-3 lead.

A Husky error led to a Portland run in the fifth, but the Huskies got that run back in the bottom of the fifth when Scott hit a towering solo homer to right, his third of the season.

In the top of the sixth, UP scored again as Riley Henricks led off with a double and scored on a Kevin Armijo single. However, UW had the answer again as Cherry blasted his first homer of the season, a two-run shot to dead center field. Later in the sixth, after a walk, Scott hit his second of the day and fourth of the season, also to straightaway center field, putting the Huskies in front, 10-5. 

After Portland scored another unearned run in the top of the seventh, Meehan, a freshman from Centralia, knocked a pinch-hit, three-run homer to center, his second of the year. A pinch-hit RBI single from Matt Stevens and a two-run double from Pearl added three more later in the seventh. Pollard hit his first Husky homer to lead off the eighth. 

Pearl, who also pitched a scoreless eighth inning, went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in.

The Huskies continue their eight-game homestand at their home away from home this Friday when they host No. 18 Arizona at Safeco Field in a 6:30 p.m. game. Saturday (2:00 p.m.) and Sunday (1:00 p.m.), the series continues at Husky Ballpark. All three games vs. Arizona will air live on KKNW AM-1150.