The score remained 0-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning, when sophomore catcher Nick Meyer’s single bounced past the Broncos’ short stop and allowed freshman infielder Bradlee Beesley and McKenna to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead. Meyer went 3 for 4 on the night with three RBI and two runs scored.
Junior pitcher Kyle Smith was relieved at the top of the fifth after his third walk of the game by sophomore Cam Schneider. Along with two other relief pitchers, Schneider tallied six of 10 strikeouts by the Cal Poly pitchers in his 2 and two-thirds innings.
“[Schneider] came in and dominated on relief,” said McKenna.
With Mustangs on first and second base at the bottom of the fifth, McKenna slammed his first homer of the season to center field, putting the Mustangs up 5-0.
The Mustangs took charge in the sixth inning, more than doubling their runs. A sacrifice bunt by junior outfielder Josh George put two of his teammates in scoring position, which freshman infielder Scott Ogrin capitalized on with a double down the left field line to score the Mustangs two runs. Emmerson hit a near identical double for another two runs, putting his team up 7-0.
The onslaught wasn’t over, as four Mustang batters strung together another four runs in the inning.
“It’s nice that our offense put up a lead,” said Schneider. “When you’re up by a lot it’s easier as a pitcher. All you have to do is throw strikes, so that’s all I was focused on.”
The final runs of the game came from McKenna’s second homer of the season, putting the Mustangs up 15-0 and one run short of tying their season record of 16 runs.
Cal Poly will return to Big West play with a weekend series at UC Davis (9-17, 2-4 Big West) starting Thursday afternoon.
“We weren’t going to do anything to jeopardize this coming weekend,” head coach Larry Lee said, referring to the lack of appearances by more experienced pitchers in order to rest them for the Mustangs’ third Big West series of the season.
“Tonight was good to give some players some needed experience and other players some needed rest,” Lee said.
“I feel as a team we’re ready,” Schneider said. “Our pitching staff looks really good and our hitting is coming along. We should be geared up to win.”