Error-aided rallies in the fourth and fifth innings gave the Cal Poly baseball team a 7-3 victory against Cal State Northridge on Friday night, pushing its record to 13-16 overall and 4-3 in the Big West.
Starting pitcher Mason Radeke continued his hot streak by scattering three hits over seven innings, without allowing a run. Radeke, who moved his record to 5-1 on the season, was on target from the beginning and never slowed down against the Matadors.
“Being able to come in and throw strikes right away gives me a little bit of confidence,” Radeke said. “I don’t have to figure out what I’m doing wrong to
fix it.”
The Mustangs got on the board in the third inning, after DJ Gentile chopped a hit up the middle to score Jimmy Allen. The run was made possible off an error by shortstop Matthew Telesco, who in the previous at-bat let a Mike Miller-grounder slip between his legs with two outs.
Cal Poly was able to break the game open in the fourth, with the help of catcher Elliot Stewart, who drew the infield in after a runner advanced to third with one out. Stewart chopped a base hit over the head of Telesco, scoring the Mustangs’ second run. Stewart was an all-around player on the night, going 2 of 4 from the plate, scoring two runs, driving in another two runs and throwing a Matador out at second.
The Mustangs stretched the score to 4-0, following an error on the Matador pitcher, Ryan Juarez, and a Bobby Crocker sacrifice fly to center.
First baseman J.J. Thompson also extended his now seven-game hitting streak on Friday night by bringing D.J. Gentile home on a double to deep left-center, to kick off another three-run rally in the fifth.
“It’s crucial that we win this series and it’s sweep time in everyone’s mind,” Thompson said.
The hits have come in bunches for the Mustangs this year. They put up 11 on Friday night and had 14 in their victory over Santa Clara on Tuesday.
“It’s an ongoing process of developing as a hitter, both from an approach standpoint and a fundamentals standpoint,” head coach Larry Lee said. “Hitting is very contagious and when some of main guys start to hit it has a big effect to the rest of the lineup and we hope it continues.”
Lee pulled Radeke in the seventh inning, with the Mustangs up 7-0, to give his ace a rest. Not wanting to use up Cal Poly’s number one closer, Jeff Johnson, Lee sent in Taylor Chris.
Chris, who Radeke said appeared to lack fastball control, gave up the three runs over two thirds of an inning to Cal State Northridge and was pulled back in favor of Frankie Reed.
Reed wasted no time in getting out of the eighth after forcing a chopper to first, and then struck out the side in the ninth to cement the victory. The Mustangs combined for 12 strikeouts, seven coming from Radeke — who had 13 in his last outing.