BERKELEY – The California baseball team (16-13, 6-7 ACC) returned home Friday from a season-long 9-game road trip to face No. 6 Clemson (28-5, 7-3 ACC) in the opener of a three-game ACC series at Stu Gordon Stadium and battled the Tigers until the final out before falling 6-4. The Bears held a 2-1 lead before giving up four unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning and another run in the eighth before mounting a comeback that included a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to get within the final 6-4 score. Cal got the go-ahead run to the plate in the eighth and the tying run in the ninth but could not get any closer.

Jarren Advincula (2-4, 2 R, SB) extended his hit streak to 15 in the loss with 12 of those multiple-hit contests, including 11 of the last 12 games. Advincula has also reached base safely in 24 straight contests. His current season-high streaks are nearing the career bests he set in 2024 of a 19-game hit streak and 27 consecutive contests in which he reached base safely. Advincula raised his season average to .398 after his two hits Friday that were his 50th and 51st over the 2025 campaign's first 29 games.

Cal scored the first run of Friday's game in the bottom of the first inning when Alex Birge drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a groundout before scoring on a two-out RBI single from Jacob French (2-4, 2 RBI, SB).

The Bears came up with another run in the bottom of the third when Advincula led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch, both with one out, before scoring on Dominic Smaldino's sacrifice fly.

Meanwhile, Turkington rolled through the first five innings allowing only one hit and setting down the Tigers in order in three of those five frames. He could have had a fourth perfect inning but the Tigers' leadoff hitter in the second reached on a PJ Moutzouridis error.

The Tigers finally broke through with one out in the top of the sixth when Dominic Listi touched Turkington for a solo home run but Turkington got through the remainder of the inning without any further damage to preserve a 2-1 Cal advantage.

Jacob Jarrell got the Tigers' key four-run seventh inning going by drawing a leadoff walk from Turkington on a close 3-2 pitch. Tryston McCladdie then sacrificed Jarrell to second but was also safe on the play at first when Alex Birge was unable to come up with the bunt right in front of home plate. Josh Paino moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt before Turkington struck out Andrew Ciufo for the second out but Listi came through again with a two-out, two-run double to right center field to score Jarrell and McCladdie and give Clemson a 3-2 lead that was its' first of the game. Jarren Purify followed with an RBI double to score Listi and chase Turkington before the Tigers scored their final run of the frame on a passed ball.

Clemson scored its final run of the game in the top of the eighth when Jarrell led off with a single, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single from Paino.

Gwynn started Cal's eighth-inning rally with an infield single before Advincula knocked out Clemson starter and winning pitcher Aidan Knaak with another single. Reed Garris came on in relief but gave up a two-out RBI-single to Dominic Smaldino that plated Gwynn before French followed with an RBI single to score Advincula. Garris would rebound to strike out Moutzouridis to end the threat.

Cal threatened again in the bottom of the ninth before Clemson closer Lucas Mahlstedt recorded his national-leading 10th save. Max Handron led off with a single and two batters later the Bears appeared to be in business when Ryan Tayman shot a ball down the left field line that was called foul. Cal challenged the call but after review the call on the field was upheld and Mahlstedt went on to strike out Tayman and Gwynn to the end the game.

Listi (2-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) led the Clemson offense while Paino (2-3, RBI) was the only other Tiger with more than one hit.

Knaak improved to 5-0 by limiting Cal to five hits, four runs (all earned), one walk, two wild pitches and one hit batsmen in 7.1 innings of work. Mahlstedt started the ninth and stuck out all three batters he faced after Handron's leadoff single.

Cal and Clemson continue their three-game series on Saturday (2 pm PT) for Bears' annual Bark at the Park game (2 pm PT) followed by Sunday's series finale (1 pm PT). Live streams of both remaining contests in the series will be available on ACCNX/ESPN+.
 
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