Rafael Salinas
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Cal Poly junior southpaw Matt Imhof and Cal State Fullerton right-handed pitcher Justin Garza are two of the top pitching prospects in the nation, but on Thursday, Imhof was the one to come out on top with an ace performance in a 8-0 Cal Poly win at Baggett Stadium.
Imhof pitched 6 1/3 innings and surrendered no runs on two hits. He struck out nine while walking four.
“Fullerton’s one of those top-tier programs, they’ve been there every year so for me to go out there and set the tone like that, and for our offense to go out there and put eight runs on the board, it’s a confidence booster,” Imhof said.
The Mustang offense has been getting good production from their lead-off man, sophomore second baseman Mark Mathias, resulting in early leads. That held true once again on Thursday.
Mathias, whose average now sits at .400, led off the game with a tough at-bat, fouling four pitches off before doubling to left. With two outs and a runner on third, sophomore designated hitter Brian Mundell sent a low line drive straight up the middle to bring home Mathias and give the Mustangs a one-run lead.
In the top of the fourth, Cal State Fullerton got back-to-back base hits on hard-hit balls from its three and four hitters, putting runners on first and second with one out, but Imhof picked them both off to end the threat.
“This is a team that’s bought into everything we’ve tried to teach them; it’s one thing to do it in a practice setting and it’s one thing to do it in a game setting,” head coach Larry Lee said. “They’ve been really good at listening and having the right approach.”
That was the last time the Titans would threaten in the game. In the bottom of the fourth, the Mustangs put up six runs in an inning that featured three errors by the visitors.
Senior catcher Chris Hoo drove in two runs with a single to right field. Mathias then singled to right on a hit-and-run play, moving Hoo from first to third, and junior center fielder Jordan Ellis walked to bring up senior right fielder Nick Torres with the bases loaded.
Torres hit a routine single to right field, but because of a defensive miscue, the ball rolled past the right fielder and allowed Torres to circle the bases and put the Mustangs up by seven.
Imhof left the game with runners on first and second in the sixth inning, but junior reliever Danny Zandona came out to close the door as the two combined on a four-hit shutout.
“Danny did a great job, that’s exactly what we need,” Lee said. “The more guys you can have that contribute, the stronger you’re going to be later in the year.”
Lee has emphasized the importance of having more bullpen contribution, and Danny Zandona looks like someone who could see more innings in the future.
Zandona threw 2 2/3 innings, and surrendered two hits and no walks while striking out four.
Cal Poly collected 16 hits in the game, led by 3-for-5 performances at the plate from both Mathias and Torres.
Freshman right-hander Slater Lee (2-1, 5.45 ERA) will face Cal State Fullerton sophomore right-hander Thomas Eshelman (5-1, 2.08 ERA) on Friday. Game time is set for 6 p.m.