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Saturday, the Golden Bears hosted the USC Trojans at Evans Diamond for the third and final time in this week’s series. Having dropped the first two games, the Bears needed a win badly to salvage the series. But Cal got off to a rough start with starter Ryan Atkinson not lasting past the first inning, and it looked like the Trojans were gearing up for a sweep.  

But by chipping away at the USC (26-13 overall, 8-4 Pac-10) lead run by run, the Bears managed to send the game to extra innings, and scratched their way to a 5-4 run victory in the tenth when designated hitter Brad Smith bounced a grounder over a drawn-in USC infield with the bases loaded. 

The Bears (22-18, 7-8) are hoping this win will be a turning point in their season, allowing them to make a late run at the post season – just as they made a late run at the Trojans on Saturday. 

Southern California started fast, ripping Atkinson for three runs on three hits in the first inning. The Bears responded with three hits of their own in the bottom half. Ben Conley and 

Conor Jackson singled with Conley scoring on cleanup hitter John Baker’s soft liner between the shortstop and third basemen.  

Trailing 3-1 after the first inning, Cal coach David Esquer decided to pull Atkinson, turning to reliever Andrew Sproul.  

“There’s no use leaving somebody rested throughout the weekend because there is no other game in the weekend,” Esquer said after the game.  

Sproul allowed only one runner in his first three innings of relief. In the fifth inning, during the Trojans second time through the order against Sproul, Michael Moon hit his second career home run off the top of the track field stands behind the right field wall, putting USC up 4-1. Moon’s home run capped the Trojan’s scoring.  

Trojan starter Anthony Reyes started shakily, allowing a run and three hits in the first inning, but settled down afterwards. Cal spent the game trying to recover from the slow start. 

Sproul gave way to David Cash in the sixth inning. Cash threw five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out five Trojans. The two Cal relievers combined to throw nine innings, giving up just one run on five hits and no walks. The near flawless bullpen pitching allowed the Bears to stage a late inning comeback, giving Cash his third win of the season. As Cash put it, “the bullpen held on long enough.”  

Reyes didn’t allow a second run until the seventh inning, when Carson White scored on a Ron Meyer’s fielder’s choice, cutting the USC lead to 4-2. Cal scratched together another run in the eighth inning. After Conley struck out, Jackson drew a walk. Reyes, preoccupied with Jackson, threw two pickoffs to first basemen Bill Peavey. On his third pickoff attempt, Reyes threw the ball away, allowing Jackson to move up to second. Brian Horowitz hit what could have been a double play ball up the middle, only Jackson was already on second after the throwing error. Cal capitalized on the break when Baker followed with his second RBI single.  

Trailing by one in the ninth, Cal needed base runners. They appeared to have a good start when Clint Hoover grounded a ball between third and short. Trojan third basemen, Michael Moon, snared the chopper, spun and threw to first, throwing out a sliding Hoover in a close play. The call prompted Esquer to emerge from the dugout, arguing Hoover had been safe.  

When asked about the tough calls going against his team, Esquer said, “you can’t have those calls be the cause, in your mind, of why the game won’t turn out your way.”  

Heeding Esquer’s words, the Bears overcame the close call to tie the game. Meyer hit a one-out single, and Brad Smith followed with a walk, the first of the game allowed by Reyes. 

Reyes’ struggles prompted USC coach Mike Gillespie to make a pitching change. He called in Brian Bannister, who induced Jeff Dragicevich to ground out. With Cal down to its final out, Conley drew a walk, loading the bases. That brought up Jackson, who walked when Bannister missed on four of five breaking balls, forcing in the tying run. With the bases still loaded Horowitz lined out to center, ending the ninth and sending the game into extra innings.  

After Cash retired Southern Cal in order in the tenth, the Trojans handed the ball to Frank Dizard. Dizard got Baker to ground out to first. Carson White followed with a double, and Dizard intentionally walked Hoover to set up a potential double play. Pinch hitter Chris Grossman drew a walk, loading the bases and forcing the Trojans to bring the infield in. That was all Smith needed, as he chopped a 2-2 fastball over leaping USC second basemen Jon Brewster, driving in White for the game-winning run.  

Smith provided a lift to a young team that has played in tight games with some of the top teams in the country, but always seems to come up just a little short. Saturday, they finally pulled one out.