Naff 8th Inning Homer Lifts No. 25 Huskies To Fifth-Straight Win

Friday, April 29

Berkeley, CA

7:00 PM

University of Washington

24-14, 10-6

California

23-15, 9-10

Washington

California

Photo by: Washington Athletics

Naff 8th Inning Homer Lifts No. 25 Huskies To Fifth-Straight Win

April 30, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

SEATTLE – John Naff went 3 for 3 and had a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning and the Huskies added an unearned run in the ninth as 25^th-ranked Washington rallied to beat California, 4-2, in the first game of a three-game series Friday night at Evans Field in Berkeley, Calif.

Naff connected on a 1-0 pitch from reliever Erik Martinez (3-2) and drove it over the center field wall for his third home run of the season. It completed a perfect night at the plate for the junior first baseman from Marysville, Wash. and was the second time in the game he drove in the go-ahead run for the Huskies.

The blast made a winner out of Alex Nesbitt (4-2) and ultimately helped lift the Pac-12-leading Huskies (24-14, 10-6 Pac-12) to their season-high fifth-consecutive win. It was also the second win in two games for the senior right-hander from Mulkiteo, Wash., as he was the winning pitcher Tuesday against Seattle U.

The game was turned over to senior closer Troy Rallings in the eighth inning and he recorded the final six outs of the game – including striking out a pair of Cal (23-15, 9-10) batters for the final two outs in the ninth – to earn his Pac-12 leading 13^th save of the year.

The Bears, losers of five-straight Pac-12 games, struck first, stringing together a pair of hits to grab the 1-0 lead in the second inning. Devin Pearson doubled with one out and came around to score on a single from Preston Grand Pre.

Washington got on the board in the fifth to tie the score at 1-1. Levi Jordan laid down a perfect bunt with a two-strike count for a single to start the inning. He moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on a fly out and scored on a two-out single up the middle by center fielder Jack Meggs. For Meggs, it was his second hit of the game and his 12^th run batted in of the season.

An inning later, the Huskies took the 2-1 lead. MJ Hubbs singled and moved to second on a passed ball. Naff singled to right field for the first of two RBI on the night as Hubbs was safe at home when catcher Brett Cumberland had the ball squirt out of his glove while trying to make a tag at the plate.

Naff's single sent Cal starter, Ryan Mason, to the bench after 5 1/3 innings. The senior had missed his previous two starts with an injury. He gave up two run – only one earned – on seven hits in his return to the mound.

Bremer couldn't make it out of the sixth either. The Berkeley native had retired nine-straight batters before allowing a one-out double to Cal third baseman Mitchell Kranson. The sophomore right-hander was replaced by Will Ballowe at that point.

Ballowe hit the first batter he faced, but he preserved the 2-1 lead when he got pinch hitter Jeffrey Mitchell to hit into a pretty 6-4-3 inning-ending double play. Bremer's final line in his homecoming was one earned run allowed on five hits. He walked one batter and did not record a strikeout.

He also didn't figure in the decision as Cal tied the score, 2-2, in the seventh on a lead-off solo home run by Pearson, his second of the year, off Nesbitt.

The Huskies grabbed the lead right back in the eighth on Naff's two-out homer and added an unearned insurance run in the ninth. AJ Graffanino reached base safely on an error by the shortstop Grand Pre and moved to third on a hit-and-run single by KJ Brady, part of a three-hit night for the Huskies' sophomore left fielder. The freshman Graffanino eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Chris Baker.

The Huskies and Bears continue the series Saturday with first pitch at 6:00 p.m. Freshman Joe DeMers, from nearby Martinez, Calif. will be making the start for the Huskies against Cal right-hander Tanner Dodson (1-3, 3.15).

Washington 4 (24-14, 10-6), California 2 (23-15, 9-10)

UW 000 011 011 –- 4 10 0
CAL 010 000 100 –- 2 7 2

LOB: UW 9, CAL 7. Noah Bremer, Will Ballowe (6), Alex Nesbitt (7), Troy Rallings and Joey Morgan; Ryan Mason, Erik Martinez (6), Joey Matulovich (9) and Brett Cumberland, Tyrus Green (9). W – Nesbitt (4-2). L – Martinez (3-2). SV – Rallings (13). HR – UW, John Naff (3); CAL, Devin Pearson (2). 3B – none. 2B – CAL, Devin Pearson, Brian Celsi. Time – 2:49. Attendance – 1,271.