The Cal Poly baseball team extended its winning streak to four on Sunday, as the Mustangs completed a sweep over Cal State Northridge with a 5-3 victory in game three.
Even though Cal Poly had already clinched the series Saturday night with an 8-2 win, head coach Larry Lee said the team was not going to be satisfied with just two wins in the series.
“(Two wins) wouldn’t have done us any good,” Lee said. “We needed to take care of business after last weekend. You don’t always think of a sweep, but you know that each game was necessary just to keep us within striking distance, so each upcoming series means that much more.”
In their past four games, the Mustangs batted .364 as a team while averaging only one earned run in each of those games. The Mustangs followed in suit the last game, batting .364 as a team, and only giving up one earned run.
Freshman Chase Johnson said the game and went 5 2/3 innings, giving up no earned runs off four hits.
Pitcher Joey Wagman then came 0n and pitched the last 10 outs of the game, striking out eight of 11 batters, including the last six in a row. His only blemish was giving up a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Wagman said when he walked on the mound, he was determined to preserve Cal Poly’s lead and earn them a much-needed win.
“We know the time is now to step up,” Wagman said. “We wanted to go 6-3, win this game and sweep this team. My main goal was give the team a chance to win this game.”
The lineup was powered by center fielder Bobby Crocker, who went 3 for 5 with two runs, shortstop Mike Miller, who went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and first baseman J.J. Thompson, who went 2 for 4. It was the fourth straight game Cal Poly has earned double-digit hits.
The Mustangs scored their first runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, with Miller hitting a single down the left field line. DJ Gentile followed up with a double off the center-field wall to bring Miller home.
Thompson kept the rally going, with a single to right field, advancing Gentile to third. The hit, his second of the game, marked the 12th time in the last 20 games Thompson’s boasted two hits.
Catcher Elliot Stewart brought Gentile home with a ground out to third base, giving the Mustangs a 2-0 lead.
Cal Poly continued to add to its lead with another lead-off single in the bottom of the fifth, this time from Crocker. After second baseman Denver Chavez laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced Crocker to second, Miller singled up the middle to bring Crocker home and expand the Mustang lead to three.
But in the bottom of the sixth, Cal State Northridge pulled itself back in the game.
Designated hitter Barry Adam reached first on a fielding error by third baseman Evan Busby. Back-to-back hits from first baseman Josh Goossen-Brown and catcher Marty Bowen brought in Northridge’s first run.
With just one out, a ground-out from third baseman Tommy Simis brought in Goossen-Brown and narrowed Cal Poly’s lead to one.
That brought starting pitcher Johnson out of the game and brought in Wagman. After pitching a full count, Wagman managed to strike out Miles Williams to end the inning.
Cal Poly responded again in the sixth scoring in its third consecutive inning. With one out and Busby on first, Crocker connected his third hit of the game, putting runners on second and third with one out. Chavez brought in Cal Poly’s fourth run after Simis missed a hard grounder to third base, and Busby scored.
Miller then launched a two-strike single into right field scoring Crocker and putting Cal Poly up 5-2.
A leadoff home run by shortstop Kyle Attl would be the last run scored during the game, as Cal Poly closed out the game 5-3.
Crocker credited the team’s recent success to new players who have filled into its starting roles.
“Guys are stepping up,” Crocker said. “Even guys who are taking the place of injured players are really taking a role in the lineup. We’re finally playing to our capability. We got to keep taking things one game at a time and things are going to keep falling into place.”
It was Cal Poly’s first Big West sweet since it defeated UC Davis in April 2009.
Cal Poly hopes to continue its win streak as it faces Fresno State in Baggett Stadium this Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Lee said he expects second baseman Matt Jensen and first baseman Tim Wise to return to the lineup Tuesday after being out for four weeks.