Baseball: Derek Campbell Drives In 5 And Cal Golden Bears Bullpen Stands Tall In 8-5 Win Over Baylor

Cal Golden Bears freshman pitcher Daulton Jefferies hit his first rough patch on Saturday, but the Golden Bear relief corps pitched 5.1 shutout innings and Derek Campbell homered and drove in five runs as Cal beat the Baylor Bears 8-5 Saturday in the rain-delayed opener of the University of San Diego Tournament at Fowler Park in San Diego.

The Golden Bears (6-2) took a 4-0 lead in the third, but Baylor (5-3) got to Jefferies in the fourth, scoring five runs to take a 5-4 lead.

But Campbell had the key blow in a three-run sixth inning, a two-run double, to put Cal back in the lead and the bullpen took it from there.

Cal’s third-inning outburst started when Mike Reuvekamp reached base when he was plunked by Baylor starter Dillon Newman with one out. Devin Pearson grounded a single through the left side and, one out later, Devon Rodriguez lined an RBI single up the middle for the game’s first run. Campbell followed with his first homer of the season to left field to put the Golden Bears up 4-0.

Mitch Price led off the top of the fourth with a homer to left, his first of the year. Adam Toth doubled and Duncan Wendel singled before West Tunnell drove in a run with a ground ball out. Brett Doe’s grounder the shortstop was thrown away by Reuvekamp, allowing a run to score to make it a 4-3 Cal lead.

After a fly out, Jefferies plunked Lawton Langford with a pitch, ending his day. Dylan Nelson came in from the bullpen and served up a two-run double to left-center field to Darryn Sheppard.

Jefferies allowed five runs, two earned, on six hits in 3.2 innings, walking one and fanning one.

In the sixth, Chris Paul reached on an error and moved to third on a one-out double by Reuvekamp. Pearson was hit by a pitch to load the bases and with two outs, Rodriguez coaxed an RBI walk. Campbell then found the right-center field gap for a double and two more runs to give the Golden Bears a 7-5 lead.

Cal added an insurance run in the eighth. Perarson was hit by a pitch … again … stole second and scored when Vince Bruno’s single was mishandled by Sheppard in left field.

Nelson (1-0) picked up the win for the Golden Bears, allowing two hits in 2.1 scoreless innings. Trevor Hildenberger earned his second save with a perfect ninth inning that included a strikeout. Ryan Mason worked the seventh and eighth for Cal, allowing two hits and striking out one.

Doug Ashby (1-1) took the loss for Baylor.

The Golden Bears are set to play two games Sunday, facing the hosts, the San Diego Toreros, at 3 p.m. and taking on UNC Wilmington at 7 p.m.