J.J. Jenkins
sports@mustangdaily.net
It’s tourney time. The Cal Poly baseball team has returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009 and will face San Diego in its first game today. The winner will face the winner of a game between UCLA and San Diego State later tonight. The regional consists of four teams and is a double-elimination format and the ultimate champion of the region will face the winner of a regional hosted at Cal State Fullerton in a Super Regional next weekend.
We’ll have inning recaps here once the game begins, but you can also follow us on Twitter for more coverage.
1st INNING
And we’re off. Wagman fans the nation’s home run leader Kris Bryant on the first pitch of the game then forces him to line out to the shortstop.
After that, Wagman forced two groundouts and gets the Mustangs off to the start they needed.
In the Mustangs half of the inning, Denver Chavez and Jordan Ellis went down quickly to Toreros lefty pitcher PJ Conlon. But freshman Brian Mundell gets Cal Poly on the scoreboard first with a monster shot to straightaway centerfield. He absolutely plastered the ball and there was basically no doubt about it as the centerfielder tracked back toward the wall.
Mundell rounds third after putting the Mustangs up 1-0 in the first. pic.twitter.com/6AwHwPpVwK
— Mustang Sports (@CPMustangSports) May 31, 2013
Cal Poly leads 1-0 after one inning.
2nd INNING
Wagman gets into a jam allowing back-to-back singles to begin the second inning, but he forces a double play. The runner from third scored, but the damage could have been much more. The next batter grounded out to first base and Wagman escapes with minimal damage. The run for the Toreros was a direct result of a hit-and-run play on the second single by Austin Green, which allowed Connor Joe to advance to third base.
John Schuknecht belts a two out shot to left field, but it was caught by the left fielder Hagberg to end the inning and strand a runner at second.
1-1 tie after two innings.
3rd INNING
The Mustangs get two quick outs before Wagman appeared to avoid pitching to Bryant and walked him rather than tempting fate. The move paid off as he struck AJ Robinson out to send the bats back out. It will be interesting to see throughout this game how Wagman/Larry Lee decide to handle the power of Bryant.
A two-out double by Jordan Ellis brought up Mundell and prompts the Toreros to chat on the mound. They decided to pitch to the big righty and ended up catching Mundell swinging on a ball way off the plate for a strikeout.
End of 3 innings of play and we’re knotted at 1 run apiece.
4th INNING
In the fourth, Wagman used a double play to erase a leadoff single, but an error in centerfield allowed a Toreros single to turn into a double. Another single by Andrew Daniel brought a run home for San Diego. Cal Poly escaped the inning with no further damage, but the team now trails 2-1.
The Mustangs went down without a peep in the fourth.
The Toreros now lead 2-1 after fourth innings of play.
5th INNING
Wagman nearly had another double play, but he threw a poor ball to second base and it skipped away allowing both runners to be safe. Worse yet, Bryant is coming to the plate with nobody out. This is crunch time for the Mustangs. And Wagman delivers with a strikeout of Bryant. No understating the importance of that at bat. And Wagman fans another Toreros batter with two on and one out. He’s one out away from escaping a Major League jam. And he gets it with a fly ball to left field. If the Mustangs win the region, or this game for that matter, we’ll look back at those three outs as crucial.
Following a one out single by Schuknecht, Peter Van Gansen ripped a single to right field and there are runners on the corners with one out for the Mustangs. And a bloop single by the Big West hits leader Denver Chavez scores Schuknecht to tie the game at 2 runs apiece.
A one-out RBI single from Denver Chavez ties the game. 2-2 in the fifth. #cpbats https://t.co/9Eqogns2fM
— Mustang Sports (@CPMustangSports) May 31, 2013
Chavez squared to bunt on a couple pitches then lifted a hit over the shortstop, it bounced off the leftfielder’s glove. Now there are runners on first and second with one out. An error at shortstop allows Ellis to reach. Mundell is now at the plate with the bases juiced and one out. Mundell flew out to deep deep deep left field, but his sac fly scores another run for the Mustangs. They lead 3-2. Nick Torres put a charge into another ball, but a leaping catch at the wall by centerfielder Louie Lechich saves two runs.
It’s a ballgame, Mustangs up 3-2.
6th INNING
Three quick outs for Joey Wagman makes for an uneventful half inning.
Three of the first four batters in the sixth reach for Cal Poly and Van Gansen has the bases loaded with one out. The Toreros walked in a run and put Chavez at the plate with the bases loaded yet again.
A one-out walk by Van Gansen brings home Armendariz. 4-2 Mustangs in the sixth inning. #cpbats https://t.co/OhxOiGJULd
— Mustang Sports (@CPMustangSports) May 31, 2013
The Toreros have made a pitching change and bring in righty Michael Wagner to face Chavez, who hits the second baseman on the first pitch to score another Mustangs run. Cal Poly leads 5-2 all the sudden. Brian Mundell adds to the lead (and his RBI total) with a two-out single to left field. Mustangs up 7-2.
Brian Mundell collects two more RBI on the day with this two-out single. 7-2 Mustangs. #cpbats https://t.co/lghZoDTgbO
— Mustang Sports (@CPMustangSports) May 31, 2013
It will be interesting to see if Lee pulls Wagman (thought I doubt it) in case he needs him for a possible win or go home game on Monday. Cal Poly just keeps runnin’ runnin’ as David Armendariz plates two runs with another two out hit, this time a double to left centerfield.
7th INNING
Joey Wagman works another scoreless inning to keep the Mustangs solidly in control, leading 9-2 with two innings to play. We’ll see how far Lee keeps Wagman out there.
Cal Poly puts two runners on but strands them to end the inning.
Mustangs lead 9-2.
8th INNING
Easy inning for Wagman and he’ll want to come out for the final frame, but Lee may elect to go with Chase Johnson who is warming up in the pen.
With two out, the Mustangs have runners at second and third for Elliot Stewart, but he can’t capitalize.
9th INNING
Chase Johnson is warming up on the mound and one thing is for certain, he’ll be throwing hard.
Johnson hits a batter then retires the next three. Mustangs win their first ever postseason game in Division I. They will play tomorrow night against the winner of UCLA vs. San Diego State.
FINAL CAL POLY 9 SAN DIEGO 2
Cal Poly defeats San Diego, 9-2, in game one of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. #cpbats https://t.co/IJI7gil0gY
— Mustang Sports (@CPMustangSports) May 31, 2013