Stanford baseball suffered just its third loss of the season yesterday in a non-conference road game against conference opponent and local rival Cal, falling 8-3 at Evans Diamond in Berkeley. The loss snapped a pair of streaks for the Cardinal, which had won its last four games over Cal State-Fullerton and Nevada, as well as its last four games on the road in a streak dating back to last season.

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Jeff Keacher

Junior Jeremy Bleich and the Stanford baseball team fell to rival California yesterday, 8-3. The Cardinal is back in action today at Saint Mary’s, trying to avenge a loss to the Gaels last week.

Stanford junior starter Max Fearnow came out strong for the Cardinal, allowing zero hits through the first two innings. But No. 18 Cal (6-1) would still strike first, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on two singles and a walk. Cal would get to Fearnow again in the fifth by playing smallball, scoring another run on a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt. Despite frequently finding himself in trouble with runners on base, though, Fearnow would go on to limit the damage to just those three runs on eight hits and three walks over 5.1 innings pitched.

The real problems for the Cardinal (6-3) came at the plate and from the bullpen. Freshman Michael Marshall started strong, getting Fearnow off the hook when he came on in relief to get out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam. But Marshall would go on to falter in just his second collegiate appearance, allowing five runs over the next 1.1 innings of work.

Offensively, the Cardinal did manage to tie the game at three runs thanks to freshman Zach Jones’ three-run homer in the seventh. It was Jones’ second career homerun for Stanford, who notched his first in the first at bat of his collegiate career against Nebraska. But Jones’ heroics stood alone as Stanford’s bats went cold, collecting just one more hit in the remainder of the game.

The Bears battled back with all the runs they’d need in the bottom half of the inning, as Rich Gorman was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before advancing into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. The Cardinal, in an attempt to set up a potential inning ending double play, intentionally walked David Cooper before a single loaded the bases with one out. Brett Jackson’s subsequent two RBI single down the right field line would effectively seal the win for the Bears.

On the whole, California out-hit the Cardinal 12-8 and allowed just two walks to Stanford’s five. Five Stanford starters went hitless on the day, with only Jones, junior left fielder Joey August and junior second baseman Cord Phelps collecting multiple hits on the afternoon.

Stanford will stay on the road tomorrow with a trip to face the Gaels of Saint Mary’s, who surprised the Cardinal with a 4-2 win at Sunken Diamond last week. Stanford then takes a longer trip, heading to Austin, Tex. this weekend to take on the Longhorns in a three-game series.