BERKELEY, Calif. -- On the cusp of turning the corner Sunday afternoon, the ASU baseball team couldn't help but take a step in the wrong direction.
Senior right-hander Jason Urquidez walked four batters the final two innings and then gave up an RBI single to senior third baseman Matt Einspahr in the bottom of the ninth, as No. 24 ASU dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to California in the rubber game at Evans Diamond.
The loss prevented ASU (22-15, 3-3 Pac-10) from climbing into the upper echelon of the jumbled Pac-10. The Sun Devils can take solace in the fact that they'll play 13 of their final 19 games at Packard Stadium, starting with this weekend's three-game series against No. 10 Stanford.
Einspahr's game-winning single caromed off the glove of sophomore Joe Persichina, who started all three games at shortstop in place of slumping freshman Andrew Romine. Charging left fielder Colin Curtis' throw to the plate was too late.
BASEBALL REPORT
The Bad: ASU's pitching remains suspect. The Sun Devils allowed California to reach base in 26 of 27 innings. The Golden Bears plated the leadoff batter five times in Sunday's finale.
Player of the Series: Cal senior third baseman Matt Einspahr marked the game-winning hit Sunday with an RBI single to left field. Einspahr finished the series 4 for 11 from the plate with two RBIs.
Up Next: ASU opens a three-game series against No. 10 Stanford at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Packard Stadium.
The two-run ninth inning capped a dramatic comeback by Cal, which loaded the bases with one out when Urquidez intentionally walked sophomore pinch-hitter Brett Munster. Freshman first baseman Mike Van Winden plated junior left fielder Allen Craig with an RBI single, setting up Einspahr's heroics.
Urquidez (5-3) spoiled a superb performance by junior left-hander Erik Averill, who allowed just two runs in 5 2/3 innings and stood to earn his Pac-10-best seventh win of the season. Averill received a no decision for the first time in five starts.
"It's just one of those things where you've got to play until the end," said ASU coach Pat Murphy, whose team trails No. 6 UA and No. 16 Oregon State by two games for first place in the Pac-10. "You can't walk people at the end of the game."
Persichina got a good jump on Einspahr's line drive but couldn't handle the ball. Sophomore pinch runner Stephen Carlson was well off the bag at third base, giving Persichina a chance to turn a double play that would have sent the game into extra innings.
"I kind of thought he would catch it, but that's a tough play for him," Curtis said.
Sophomore second baseman Seth Dhaenens put ASU on top 3-2 with a sixth-inning RBI single after senior first baseman Jeff Larish advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Curtis.
Urquidez was lucky Cal (23-13, 5-4) didn't tie the game in the eighth. He walked consecutive batters with one out before marking back-to-back strikeouts to escape the jam.
"He was fine until the last inning," ASU senior catcher Tuffy Gosewisch said. "He didn't throw bad pitches. It's just that they hit the ball well."
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.
