BERKELEY — Early runs plagued the California baseball team in its 7-2 loss to No. 3 Georgia Tech on Friday at Stu Gordon Stadium.
 
The Golden Bears (14-15, 1-10) dropped their fourth straight ACC series, but there were many positive takeaways when looking at how the game finished and how the bullpen performed. Cal hung six straight zeroes on the board to end the game against one of the top lineups in the NCAA and the five relievers that took the mound gave up a combined one hit while striking out five.
 
Just as they did last night, the Yellow Jackets (25-5, 11-3) got out to a quick lead scoring four runs in the first inning. The Bears were two strikes away from getting out of the inning with just one run allowed but a two-out three-run home run gave GT a commanding lead from the jump.
 
Junior Hideki Prather made his return to the lineup and doubled on the first pitch he saw as the Bears' lead-off hitter, but that would be the team's sole hit through the first three innings.
 
After a three-run third gave the Jackets a 7-0 lead, Cal got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with Daniel Murillo scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Cal starter Oliver de la Torre pitched well but was tagged with three home runs to give him seven earned, the most he has allowed this season. The junior finished with 5.0 innings of work and allowed six hits and three walks while striking out five.
 
The first two arms out of the Bears' bullpen impressed with Quinn Larson retiring the Jackets in order on 10 pitches with a pair of strikeouts in the sixth inning. Freshman Cade Colombara hung a zero with a strikeout in the seventh to keep the Bears in range.
 
The Bears had a great opportunity to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the seventh using a two-out rally to get a pair of runners on. Center fielder Ethan Kodama drove in a run on an RBI single through the right side of the infield to make it a 7-2 ball game. Cal had two runners in scoring position following the Kodama at-bat but stranded them there on an inning-ending K.
 
Senior Cole Clark and freshman Take Kreis covered the eighth and ninth innings allowing just one baserunner each via a walk. Clark earned a strikeout and Kreis picked up a pair to end an outstanding night for the bullpen.
 
Outside of right fielder Kalen Applefield, who earned his first multi-hit game of the season going 2-for-2 with a walk, Cal's bats struggled striking out 13 times.
 
The Bears and Jackets are back at The Stu for the series finale tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. PT on ACCNX.
 
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