Cal Crushes Miami in Opening Game of ACC Baseball Tournament

The Bears broke the game open with seven runs on just three hits in the fourth inning. Three walks, a hit batter and a Miami error in that inning aided Cal’s rally highlighted by PJ Moutzouridis’ two-run double and Carl Schmidt's two-run single.

That put Cal ahead 9-0 and was more than enough for sophomore de la Torre, who had his best pitching performance of his college career. He pitched six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out seven.

He had pitched four scoreless innings in his previous outing on May 10 against second-ranked Florida State, but this performance was more impressive,

De la Torre was lifted after six innings, and Miami scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh off Ethan Foley, but it did not detract from de la Torre’s masterpiece.

Cal finished with 13 hits, and every member Cal’s starting lineup reached base at least once. The Bears’ benefited from seven walks and four hit batters issued by Miami pitchers. 

Moutzouridis went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a stolen base, and it was his steal of second with Cal holding a 9-0 lead in the top of the seventh that caused a bit of a stir.  Miami shortstop Jake Ogden and Moutzouridis exchanged words with Moutzouridis standing safely at second base. Presumably Ogden was upset Cal was stealing a base with a nine-run lead, but the Bears were hoping to end the game after seven innings and save some pitching arms.

Moutzouridis eventually scored the Bears' 10th run in that inning.

A team that leads by 10 runs or more after seven innings is automatically declared the winner at that point, and although Cal led 10-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, Miami scored two runs off Foley to prolong the game.

Cal scored two more runs in the top of the eighth inning to make it 12-2, and Foley shut Miami down in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the 10-run lead and end the game.

Cal’s Ethan Kodoma was hit by a Jackson Cleveland pitch in the top of the eighth, and that was the fourth Cal batter to be hit. That led to Kodoma showing some dissatisfaction with the play and caused umpires to issue a warning to both teams.