UC Santa Barbara baseball fans cheered from the bleachers of Cal Poly’s Baggett Stadium Tuesday night when six of their players trotted past home plate in the eighth inning.
Those runs were the Gauchos’ only ones of the game, though, in the Mustangs’ 15-6 win.
“As the game progressed, we got better,” said junior outfielder Philip Ortez, regarding the nine runs the Mustangs tallied in the fifth inning.
He added it was nice to have every player get in the game and to beat the Gauchos, who edged Cal Poly 10-8 last week.
Mustangs head coach Larry Lee attributed the 15-6 win to Cal Poly’s aggressive offensive strategy.
“We had a good approach,” said Lee, who went on to say he was unsure of how his team, which played its first 11 games of the season on the road, would do at home. “Some (players) put extra pressure on themselves.”
Sophomore pitcher Mark DeVincenzi said playing at home was indeed welcomed.
“It was good to finally be back after being on the road,” said DeVincenzi, who stepped in during the eighth inning to pitch to the last three Gauchos hitters and strike two out.
DeVincenzi also said he hopes last night’s game will serve as a stepping stone to later success, continuing with tonight’s 6 p.m. game against Santa Clara, the second of five the Mustangs (6-6) will play at home this week.