A two-run ninth inning couldn’t save Cal Poly (20-11) baseball Tuesday afternoon as the Mustangs fell 6-5 to UC Santa Barbara. Although the game will not factor into the teams’ conference records, it halts Cal Poly’s three-game winning streak after sweeping UC Irvine over the weekend.
The Mustangs scored in both the eighth and ninth innings but had opportunities for more, loading the bases with no outs in the eighth and runners on first and second with one out in the ninth. The Gauchos turned double plays to end the Cal Poly threat.
With the bases loaded in the eighth, Chris Hoo, playing first base, struck out and Jordan Hadlock grounded into a double play. The Mustangs struck again in the ninth with RBI singles from Tim Wise and Jimmy Allen, and with a chance to tie the game with a deep single, the hot-hitting David Armendariz hit into another double play.
Cal Poly pitcher Bryan Granger took his first loss of the season as he pitched three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fourth. He allowed four runs, two earned, which erased a 2-0 Cal Poly lead. Before he could retire a batter in the fourth frame, he was relieved by Reed Reilly who pitched two complete innings and allowed another Gaucho run.
The Mustangs outhit the Gauchos 10 to eight including two each from Allen, Armendariz, Mitch Haniger and Nick Torres, but the bottom of the lineup struggled against the UC Santa Barbara pitching staff. The last three spots in the order went a combined 0 for 9 and stranded four runners. Armendariz, who had four hits including a home run on Sunday, doubled and recorded two RBIs but also struck out twice and left three runners on base.
The Gauchos burned the Mustangs with two home runs from Ryan Palermo and Joe Winterburn, both solo shots against the Cal Poly relievers.
Junior second baseman Denver Chavez returned to the Cal Poly lineup on Tuesday after appearing in just 13 of the Mustangs first 30 games and scored two runs despite not recording a hit. He also stole two bases.
Cal Poly returns to the diamond in a Big West series at Cal State Northridge this weekend. The three weekend starters for the Mustangs are a combined 14-5 and two (Joey Wagman and Kyle Anderson) have ERAs below 2.20.
UCSB visits Baggett Stadium for the teams’ conference series May 18 to 20.