Bears Win in the 10th on Cutler's Clutch Single

For eight innings on Friday night, Tyson Ross was virtually unhittable.

And when the No. 6 Stanford baseball team finally did get to him in the bottom of the ninth, Charlie Cutler and No. 16 Cal hit right back.

The Cardinal scored two runs off of Ross in the ninth-the second on a two-out single by designated hitter Randy Molina-to tie the game at 3-3 and set it to extra innings. But after Bears shortstop Michael Brady walked and stole second in the top of the 10th, Cutler came through with a clutch two-out hit of his own to drive in Brady and put Cal up 4-3.

Bears closer Matt Gorgen then pitched around a leadoff single in the bottom of the 10th and struck pinch hitter Toby Gerhart out swinging for the final out to earn the win.

"It's an amazing feeling," Cutler said. "I'm just glad that he didn't make the play. That was my initial reaction was, 'I hit it right at him.' And then I saw it get by him and I was thrilled."

Brady came around to score his third run of the game. The shortstop also hit a solo home run in the fifth that put Cal up 2-1 at the time. The Bears made it 3-1 in the eighth on an RBI single by-who else-Cutler.

"That was awesome," Ross said. "Cut's a leader on this team and he did what he's supposed to do in that situation, just got the game-winning hit for us. No matter what I did out there today, I just wanted the team to win."

It was a tough no-decision for Ross, who was on cruise control for most of the game. After allowing a solo home run to first baseman Brent Milleville in the fourth, Ross retired 14 straight Stanford hitters before allowing a leadoff double to Colin Walsh in the ninth.

The Cardinal then scored on a sacrifice fly by Milleville and Castro's single to send the game to extra innings and set up Cutler's heroics.

Tempers ran high for Cal during a bizarre sequence of events in the late innings.

Bears first baseman David Cooper was ejected in teh top of the eighth after dropping his bat in disgust at a called third strike. Third base coach Jon Zuber was then tossed arguing a baserunner's interference call on center fielder Brett Jackson that took the Bears out of a potential rally in the top of the ninth.

As a result, the crowd of over 3,700 was at its loudest from the ninth inning on, adding to an electric atmosphere that culminated in Gorgen being mobbed by his teammates on the mound after recording the game-ending strikeout.

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