Keenan Donath
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The Cal Poly baseball team’s offense came alive in Saturday’s route of Pacific, as they took the second game of the three-game series 12-4.
With the victory, the Mustangs (4-7) inch their way closer to a .500 record while Pacific (0-13) continues its winless ways.
Cal Poly carried the momentum from Friday’s 11-3 drubbing of the Tigers into Saturday’s matchup. Early RBI doubles from junior shortstop Peter Van Gansen, sophomore second baseman Alec Smith, senior first baseman Tommy Pluschkell and senior outfielder Jordan Ellis paved the way for nine Mustang runs in the first half-inning of the game.
Freshman pitcher Kyle Smith did not let the big lead make him complacent. The southpaw pitched effectively in his first six innings of work, allowing only a single Pacific run. The Tigers’ quick three runs in the bottom half of the seventh kept the young pitcher from going further.
In addition to the first-inning fireworks, the Mustangs tacked on three more runs in the top of the eighth inning. A single by junior designated hitter Mark Mathias would cause a throwing error, allowing the always-involved Smith to score. A triple from hot-hitting Ellis would bring in two more Cal Poly runs.
Saturday’s game was a chance for a young pitching staff to gain valuable game experience. Freshmen relievers Michael Gomez and Jarred Zill shut out the Tigers in the last three innings of the game, securing what turned out to be a comfortable Cal Poly victory. Starter Kyle Smith (1-2) collected his first victory of the year to go along with his four strikeouts.
Van Gansen went 4-for-5 on the day and has now accumulated 11 RBIs in 11 games this year. Pluschkell advanced his batting average to .350 with his four-hit performance. Mathias and Ellis also padded their stats with 3-for-6 days of their own.
The Mustangs enter Sunday’s series finale with a sweep in mind after securing their first series victory of the year. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Klein Family Field in Stockton.