SAN FRANCISCO — Visiting California broke open what had been a pitchers' duel Sunday with four runs in the seventh, and rode its own strong arms to a series-clinching, 5-1 victory over the University of San Francisco baseball team in the series finale at Benedetti Diamond.
 
USF (3-4) starter Grant Nechak worked into the sixth inning Sunday, only allowing one unearned run and striking out a career high seven to keep the Dons locked in what was a 1-0 game. Josh Mollerus (0-2) relieved Nechak in the sixth after the first two Cal batters reached base and he continued USF's strong pitching up to that point, escaping the jam with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout.
 
San Francisco tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth, scoring its first run on a two-out RBI double by Nick Yovetich. The Dons looked to grab the lead in the sixth after a leadoff pinch-hit double, but squandered the opportunity with an inning-ending double play.
 
"We were in a great position to win the game today, bottom of the sixth, leadoff double, top of the order up, and we just didn't execute," said San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano. "A called third strike, made a baserunning mistake, I thought those were tough positions, but then we just didn't play good defense in the seventh."
 
California (4-4) used the momentum of escaping that sixth-inning threat to take its own lead in the top of the seventh. A leadoff single was followed by a two-run home run by Dylan Beavers to make it 3-1. The next three batters all reached safely, and two USF errors allowed two more runs to score, putting the Bears ahead for good at 5-1.
 
"We just didn't catch the ball very well and we didn't throw the ball very well and the game got out of hand 5-1, where it should've been a 2-, 3-1 game and then we had a chance to do it," said Giarratano. "Or we should've been up 2-1 after the leadoff double and we just didn't execute."
 
Cal reliever Josh White earned a three-inning save by only allowing two base runners, not allowing a hit and striking out six. Cal starter Paulshawn Pasqualotto (1-1) was equally as impressive, earning the victory with only one run allowed on four hits in six innings of work. He struck out five and walked none.
 
The Dons host defending Mountain West Conference champion Fresno State for a single game on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.
 
"I think when it comes down to it, didn't execute well enough and that's how you lose three out of four," said Giarratano. "We're going to bounce back and do what we do."