NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The California baseball team got the tying run to third base in the top of the ninth inning before falling 6-5 to Notre Dame (24-17, 10-14 ACC) on Sunday at Frank Eck Stadium in the finale of a three-game series swept by the Irish.
\
Jacob French was hit by an 0-2 pitch with one out in the top of the ninth to start Cal's last-inning threat before moving to second on a wild pitch and third on Max Handron's groundout. Carl Schmidt then grounded a ball hard up the middle that seemed to have a chance to get through for a game-tying RBI single but Notre Dame shortstop Estevan Moreno raced over to cut it off and throw Schmidt out at first base to end the contest.

Cal jumped out to an early 2-0 lead Sunday on Kalen Applefield's first collegiate homer in the top of the third, a two-run shot that also scored Dominic Smaldino after he led off the frame with the first of a career and team season-high three doubles, which was one shy of the single-game school of four set by Mike Tonis at Oregon State on April 18, 1999.

The Golden Bears' lead was their first of the series but did not last long as Notre Dame answered with five runs in its' half of the third. Cal starter and losing pitcher Cole Tremain (2.1 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1 HBP) loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batsmen after getting the first out of the inning. Ethan Foley (4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) came in on relief and was greeted with a two-run double by Parker Brzustewicz that tied the score at 2-2. Foley settled in to get the second out and looked to out of the inning without any further damage but a two-out throwing error on PJ Moutzouridis allowed a pair of unearned runs to score and Nick DeMarco followed with an RBI single to plate another.

But Foley would settle in and keep the Bears within striking distance by posting zeros in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, retiring nine in a row at one point.

Cal would get one run back in the sixth when Ryan Tayman singled with two outs to extend his hit streak to a new career high of six games and scored on Smaldino's second double of the contest.

The Bears would cut the Fighting Irish lead to 5-4 with another run in the seventh when Moutzouridis and French led off with back-to-back singles before Max Handron's sacrifice fly scored Moutzouridis. The Irish would escape further damage when reliever Oisin Lee (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER) got Schmidt to hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

The Fighting Irish would get an insurance run they would need with a third unearned tally off Foley in the bottom of the seventh to extend their lead to 6-4 when Brzustewicz reached with two outs on Moutzouridis' second error of the game and scored on Connor Hincks' RBI triple.

Cal again cut the lead to a single run in the top of the eighth when Smaldino hit his third double of the contest and scored on Applefield's RBI single.

Smaldino (3-4, 2 R, 3 2B, RBI) and French (3-4, 3B, HBP) finished with three hits each for the Bears, who outhit Notre Dame by a count of 13-4. Applefield (2-4, R, HR, 3 RBI), Schmidt (2-4, R, BB) and Moutzouridis (2-5, R) added two hits apiece.

Brzustewicz (1-4, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI) was the only Notre Dame player with more than one RBI while none had a multiple-hit contest.

Ricky Reeth (3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 SO) was the second of four Notre Dame pitchers and credited with the win to improve to 2-2. Tobey McDonough (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 WP, 1 HBP) picked up his sixth save.

Cal (18-25, 6-18 ACC) will host San Francisco (19-25, 7-11 WCC) in a nonconference game at Stu Gordon Stadium on Tuesday (6 p.m. PT). A live steam of the contest will be available on ACCNX/ESPN+.

STAY POSTED
For coverage of Cal baseball, please follow the Bears on X (@CalBaseball) and Instagram (@CalBaseball).