Rally after rally, the runs seemed to come in bunches for the Mustangs. Yet, even with the barrage of offense, Cal Poly surrendered two of three contests in the Coca-Cola classic this weekend.
In its first game, Cal Poly matched up against No. 2 Arizona State. The Mustangs belted four solo homers, but still couldn’t top the Sun Devils’ offense — Cal Poly fell 12-9.
Third baseman Raoul Torrez belted a grand slam in the seventh inning for Arizona State to snap an 8-8 tie.
Luke Yoder and Matt Jensen lead Cal Poly’s 12-hit attack with three hits apiece. David Van Ostrand and Ross Brayton each added a pair of hits.
The loss went to Mustang junior left-hander Matt Leonard (0-2), who gave up nine runs, three unearned, and 10 hits in six-plus innings. Senior right-hander Mark DeVincenzi gave up three runs and a hit in one inning while sophomore righty Jeff Johnson tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
In the second game, Cal Poly rallied to defeat Utah Valley, 8-6.
Senior catcher Ross Brayton singled up the middle to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs in the seventh inning.
The two-run single gave the Mustangs a 5-4 lead to pair with two more runs in the seventh. Cal Poly then added one in the eighth en route to snapping a two-game losing streak.
Sophomore left-hander Kyle Anderson (1-1), despite being hit on his pitching hand on a comebacker in the third inning, pitched over seven innings for his first win of the season. He allowed 12 hits and six runs with no walks and five strikeouts.
Brayton finished with three hits, all singles, and scored twice while knocking in two runs to lead Cal Poly’s offense.
Junior infielder J.J. Thompson collected two RBIs – one on a bases-loaded walk and the other on a squeeze bunt in the seventh inning.
In the final game, a five-run ninth-inning wasn’t enough as Cal Poly fell two runs short to Florida International, 10-8.
Trailing 10-3, Cal Poly filled the bases on a single and two walks with nobody out. After a strikeout for the first out of the inning, Adam Melker’s single scored one and David Van Ostrand drew a bases-loaded walk for the second run.
A dropped fly ball by Florida International allowed two more runs to score and cutting the lead to 10-7. Brayton’s single to right-center cashed in the fifth run, but Mitch Haniger and Elliot Stewart both struck out to end the game.
Stewart and Brayton each had three of Cal Poly’s nine hits as both went 3-for-5.
Florida International jumped to a 6-0 lead with two runs in the second and four more in the fourth.
Cal Poly cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth as Evan Busby singled through the left side of the infield to drive in two runs and Yoder hit into a force play to knock in the third run, but Cal Poly couldn’t piece together enough offense to pull out the win.
The loss went to Mustang freshman right-hander Joey Wagman (1-1), though three of the six runs he allowed were unearned.
Cal Poly’s final game of the series, originally scheduled against Oregon State, was cancelled due to weather issues. The Mustangs will return to the diamond this Tuesday as they square off against Northern Illinois in Baggett Stadium.