DURHAM, N.C. – The California baseball team (7-8, 1-2 ACC) fell 7-3 in the rubber match of its first ever series with Duke (10-6, 2-1 ACC) on Sunday at Jack Coombs Field. The Blue Devils scored twice in the bottom of the second inning on Macon Winslow's two-run homer and Cal never led in the contest. The Bears had won Friday's opener, 14-1, before being defeated 6-2 on Saturday.

PJ Moutzouridis (2-3, 2B, RBI) and Ryan Tayman (2-4, 2B) each doubled and had multiple-hit contests to account for four of Cal's seven hits, while Jarren Advincula (1-4, 2B) also doubled, and Seth Gwynn had the Golden Bears' other RBI.

Cal reliever Spencer Dessart (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 2.0 innings of work. Dessart came on in relief of starter Ethan Foley (3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) to the start the bottom of the fourth with the game tied, 2-2. Dessart worked a scoreless fourth before giving up a two-run homer to Ben Miller with one out in the bottom of the fifth that gave Duke a 4-2 advantage.

The Bears would trail the rest of the game but did cut the Duke lead to 4-3 in the top of the sixth when Tayman and Moutzouridis led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. The Bears threatened to score more in the inning and had runners on first and third with only one, but Dominic Smaldino grounded back to the pitcher for the second out and Moutzouridis tried to steal home in between pitches on a throwback to the pitcher but was cut down at the plate to end the Cal threat.

Duke added three insurance runs by answering with one in their half of the sixth on an RBI single by Miller before getting two in the eighth on Jake Berger's RBI fielder's choice and an RBI single from Tyler Albright.
Cal scored single runs in the third and fourth inning on an RBI fielder's choice from Gwynn and a Blue Devils' throwing error.

Duke used five pitchers with the first of four relievers Andrew Calvert (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 SO, 1 WP) registering the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. The final three Blue Devil relivers – Edward Hart (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB), Mark Hindy (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) and Henry Zatkowski (1.0 IP, 3 SO) shut out the Bears over the final four innings with Zatkowski striking out the side in order in the bottom of the ninth in a non-save situation.

Miller (3-5, HR, 3 RBI) and Wallace Clark (3-5) had half of the Blue Devils' 12 hits, while Winslow (2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) and Sam Harris (2-4, 2B) had two-hit contests.
Cal returns home for four games next week beginning with a nonconference home contest against Utah on Tuesday (6 pm) before No. 9/13/8 Virginia visits Stu Gordon Stadium for a three-game ACC set Friday-Sunday (6 pm, 2 pm, 1 pm).

A live video stream of all four games will be available on ACCNX/ESPN+.
 
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