BERKELEY – NC State (27-12, 12-6 ACC) closed out a three-game ACC series sweep of the California baseball team (18-21, 6-15 ACC) with a 5-2 victory over the Golden Bears on Saturday at Stu Gordon Stadium.

Cal All-American candidate Jarren Advincula (3-4, 2 R, 2B) continued his torrid hitting in the defeat by extending his hit streak to nine games with three of the Bears' five hits for his 23rd multiple-hit game of the campaign and ninth contest with three or more hits. Advincula, who has now hit safely in 24 of his last 25 games and 34 of 39 contests this season, also scored both Cal runs and raised his season batting average to .394.

Cal's other hits were a first-inning single by Cade Campbell (1-4) and a two-out RBI double in the eighth by Carl Schmidt off reliever Jacob Dudan after Advincula had doubled down the left field line to chase NC State starter and winner pitcher Ryan Marohn.

NC State started the scoring Saturday when Ty Head drew a leadoff walk from losing pitcher Oliver de la Torre (2-3), moved to third a one-out single from by Josh Hogue and scored on Justin DeCriscio's sacrifice fly.

Cal tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Advincula singled to lead off the frame then moved to second on Campbell's single and third on a passed ball before scoring on Dominic Smaldino's sacrifice fly that gave him his team-leading 37th run batted in.

The game would not stay tied long as the Wolf Pack regained a 3-1 lead on Matt Heavner's two-out, two RBI single in the top of the second.

The score remained 3-1 in favor of the Wolf Pack until the eighth inning as de la Torre (6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO) and Cal reliever Ethan Foley (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) matched zeros with Marohn for the next five frames until Sosa cracked a two-run homer in the top of the eighth off Spencer Dessart to extend the Wolf Pack lead to 5-1.

Cal got one run back in the eighth on Schmidt's RBI double and got the tying run into the on-deck circle in both the eighth and ninth frames but could never get it to the plate.

Marohn limited the Bears to two runs (one earned) and four hits with nine strikeouts over 7.2 innings to improve to 5-2 before Dudan picked up the final four outs including three strikeouts for his fourth save, allowing one hit, one walk and two wild pitches.

Chris McHugh (3-4, 2 RBI, BB) had three of the Wolf Pack's seven hits and was the only NC State player with more than one, while Sosa drove in a pair on his homer.

Cal will be off on Easter Sunday before concluding its current five-game home stand on Monday by hosting Saint Mary's in a nonconference contest at the Stu. First pitch is at 6 p.m. PT. A live steam is available on ACCNX/ESPN+.
 
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