BERKELEY, Calif. (Interstat) — Gavin Eddy delivered another dominant start and the California Golden Bears capitalized on a pair of Sacramento State errors to complete a series sweep with a 3-2 victory in a tightly contested nonconference baseball game Sunday evening at Evans Diamond.

The Golden Bears (8-3) won their fifth straight game, while the Hornets (3-8) dropped their sixth in a row, all by narrow margins.

Eddy, California’s top star, set the tone with seven strong innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out five. He walked two and consistently worked out of minimal trouble, aided by a Golden Bears defense that turned three double plays behind him. The right-hander has now logged back-to-back seven-inning outings, having also beaten San Diego last weekend.

Sacramento State struck first against Eddy in the second inning. Alex Harry singled to left center and scored when designated hitter Jace Jeremiah doubled down the line for an early 1-0 lead.

The Hornets’ own starting pitcher, Carson Timothy, was brilliant through four hitless innings, striking out two. However, he was lifted after 4.0 innings and 64 pitches following a leadoff single and a fielding error by second baseman Sewell in the fifth. Reliever Sean Carey entered with runners at the corners and one out.

The bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the decisive and most important part of the game. Carey struck out Kodama looking for the second out, but California catcher Hideki Prather followed with a sharp single to center, scoring Lopez with the tying run. The play was ruled an unearned run due to the earlier error. Prather, who finished 2 for 4, then took second on defensive indifference. After Carey walked French to load the bases, another Hornets miscue cost them. Hanson scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop Perazzo, whose throw to second for a force attempt was wide, allowing the run to score. Murillo then grounded out to end the inning, but the damage was done as California took a 3-2 lead, with all three runs being unearned.

California added an insurance run in the fourth off Timothy before the fateful fifth. Campbell doubled and scored on an RBI double from first baseman Gannon Snyder to make it 2-1.

Sacramento State’s offense was repeatedly stifled by double plays, grounding into four over the course of the game. They threatened in the eighth against the California bullpen. After Garrett Mackowiak issued a walk and a strikeout, Cole Clark entered and allowed an infield single and an RBI single to Poturnak, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Clark escaped further damage by inducing a fielder’s choice.

In the ninth, Jeremiah led off with a single, but Clark got Sewell to ground into a 6-3 double play. A walk put the tying run on base, but Clark struck out pinch-hitter Hadley swinging to end the game and secure the save.

Carey was excellent in relief for Sacramento State, pitching 2.2 hitless innings with four strikeouts. Kurt Marton and Ian Winterhalder combined for 1.1 perfect innings of relief to keep the Hornets close.

The game defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which had forecast a 7-2 California victory and gave the Golden Bears a 66.9% probability to win.

California next hosts Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday. Sacramento State travels to face Fresno State on Tuesday before a challenging weekend series at LSU.