Feb. 1, 2005

Box Score

BERKELEY, Calif. - The Pacific Tigers baseball team opened its 2005 schedule with a 5-4 win over the Cal Golden Bears on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The Tigers start the season at 1-0, while the Golden Bears fell to 0-1.

Pacific got on the board first in the second inning as junior Jerin Harper (Spokane, Wash.) led off with a double to deep right-center. A balk sent Harper to third, then freshman Justin Baum (La Mesa, Calif.) drew a walk to put runners at the corners. After Baum took second on a passed ball, senior Jesse Kovacs (Carmel, Calif.) give the Tigers a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Harper and sending Baum to third.

One out later, freshman Bobby Leigh (Arvada, Colo.) reached on a walk, then Baum scampered home on a wild pitch. The next batter, junior Dale Hall (Wenatchee, Wash.) delivered a bunt single, then junior Anthony Jackson (Modesto, Calif.) drove home Leigh from second with a single to center. Hall was retired at third to end the inning.

The Tigers added to their lead in the third as junior Matt Berezay (Manteca, Calif.) launched a one-out blast over the left field wall for his first home run.

Pacific made it a 5-0 game in the fourth as Leigh was hit to lead off the inning. Two outs later, Leigh went to second on a balk and senior Brandon Gottier (Bellingham, Wash.) sliced an RBI single down the right field line.

The early lead helped Pacific junior Luke Massetti (Modesto, Calif.) cruise in his first appearance as a Tiger. Massetti allowed just two hits and two walks in six innings as he shut down the California attack.

California, however, made the game interesting in the eighth inning as the Golden Bears scored four runs on five singles and two errors. As the Tigers clung to a 5-4 lead with the bases full of Golden Bears in the bottom of the eighth inning, Pacific senior Josh Schmidt (Sierra Madre, Calif.) struck out Cal's Jason Corder to end the threat.

Schmidt struck out the side in the ninth to earn his eight career save for Pacific.

Berezay paced the Tigers offense, going 3-for-5 with the home run. He was a triple away from hitting for the cycle.

The opening day victory is the third consecutive season-opener that Pacific has won, including both under head coach Ed Sprague.

Pacific will open its home schedule on Friday, Feb. 4 at 6 pm against the visiting Nevada Wolf Pack at Billy Hebert Field.

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