Cal Tops No. 16 Arizona With Wild 9th Inning and Walk-Off Wild Pitch

Bears get only one hit in four-run, last-inning rally to capture Pac-12 baseball opener

Cal got only one hit in a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth that was capped by a wild pitch that scored the winning run in the Bears' 9-8 victory over 16th-ranked Arizona Friday night in Berkeley in the Pac-12 baseball opener for both teams.

It's the second time this season that Cal won a game on a walk-off wild pitch, doing it against No. 17 TCU last month.

Cal (7-6) trailed Arizona 8-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but scored three times in the bottom of the sixth on Carson Crawford's two-run single and Dylan Beavers' RBI single.

However, Cal still trailed 8-5 entering the bottom of the ninth.

Beavers started the ninth-inning rally with a walk, and Caleb Lomavita followed with the only hit of the inning, a single. After Cole Elvis struck out, Hance Smith was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

A wild pitch scored a run to make it 8-6, and after Rodney Green Jr. walked to re-load the bases, another wild pitch scored the second run of the inning to make it 8-7.

Keyshawn Ogans flied out for the second out of the inning, but with Nathan Manning at the plate, Smith scored the tying run on a passed ball and Green went to third. With Manning still at the plate, Holden Christian uncorked another wild pitch, and Green came home for the game-winning run, touching off a Cal celebration and putting Arizona's record at 10-4.

Christian is the Wildcats' closer, and he entered the game with two saves, a 1.29 earned-run average, 10 strikeouts, two walks and two wild pitches in his seven innings.

Christian pitched the entire ninth inning against Cal, when he faced six batters. He gave up just one hit in the ninth, but walked two, hit a batter and threw three wild pitches.  A passed ball was thrown in there as well. He was charged with two earned runs and his ERA is now 5.00.

Cal and Arizona play the second game of a three-game series on Saturday.

.

Cover photo of Nathan Martorella by Brendon Baranov

.

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by searching: @si.calsportsreport or going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport