The Cal Poly baseball team began its 2016 season playing a friendly game against program alumni on Saturday.
Despite scoring seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 10, the alumni failed to hold off the young Cal Poly team. The Mustangs responded with four runs of their own and held off the alumni for two more innings, winning 14-10.
Cal Poly led 10-3 before the seventh inning before an RBI single by catcher Chris Hoo started an alumni comeback. Shortstop Peter Van Gansen, who was drafted in 2015, hit a two-run single followed by a Mustang error, accounting for the first four runs of the inning.
Nick Torres, a fourth-round pick in the 2014 MLB draft, capped the comeback with a three-run homer over the center field fence.
However, the Mustangs had not had their turn.
Cal Poly finished the seventh inning with four runs of its own. After loading the bases, Cal Poly received two walks, giving them a two-run lead, and sophomore catcher Austin Kron smacked a double to bring home two more runs.
The remaining innings were scoreless.
Junior catcher Brett Barbier had three of Cal Poly’s 16 hits, including a triple. Junior infielder Alec Smith added a pair of hits.
Freshman outfielder Alex McKenna also added a pair of hits, including a second-pitch home run as the leadoff hitter for the Mustangs in the first inning.
The alumni finished with 10 hits, including three by Hoo. Brian Mundell helped with the alumni’s comeback by adding a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Mustangs freshman pitcher Cam Schneider pitched five innings, allowing only one run and two hits. Freshmen pitcher Justin Bruihl pitched two scoreless innings after the alumni tied the score in the seventh inning. Bruihl earned the win, giving up only one hit and striking out the final batter.
Cal Poly has its official season opener next weekend in a four-game series against Pacific in Baggett Stadium. The series begins Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday and the series conclusion at 1 p.m. on Sunday.