Cal Poly Loses Pair of One-Run Games to UNC, Missouri
2/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Two rain delays and a flying bat spoiled an otherwise successful day for the Cal Poly baseball team in the USC Tournament opening the 2011 college baseball season.
After falling 2-1 to 25-time NCAA regional participant and No. 27 North Carolina in a morning game Friday at Dedeaux Field, Cal Poly built a 9-4 lead against 14-time postseason qualifier Missouri on Friday afternoon.
A 56-minute rain delay followed in the middle of the sixth inning, then Missouri scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 10-9 lead.
As Cal Poly was preparing to bat in the top of the seventh inning, Mustang freshman infielder Jordan Brower was hit in the head by a flying bat, sustaining a concussion, while standing in the dugout. While Brower was being tended to by medical personnel, the infield was covered for a second rain delay.
The game was called an hour later with Missouri winning 10-9.
Missouri will play Southern California on Saturday at 10 a.m.. Cal Poly will play USC on Saturday at 2 p.m. to complete tournament play.
In the game against North Carolina, the Tar Heels scored in the first inning on an RBI triple by Levi Michael and Cal Poly answered in the fifth as Tim Wise doubled, moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Evan Busby's sacrifice fly to right field.
North Carolina broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth inning on Tommy Coyle's infield single.
Mason Radeke pitched well in the loss, allowing one run and five hits in five innings. Southpaw reliever Kyle Anderson gave up a run and one hit in 3 2/3 innings in absorbing the loss.
Cal Poly's hits were a double by Wise and singles by Mike Miller, Mitch Haniger and DJ Gentile.
Cal Poly held 1-0, 4-1 and 9-4 leads against Missouri, but couldn't hold them.
The Mustangs' five-run sixth-inning rally was highlighted by Miller's two-run double, a run-scoring double by Haniger and a sacrifice fly by Bobby Crocker. Gentile also drove in two runs with a double in the fourth inning.
After the first rain delay lasting 56 minutes, Missouri scored six times in the bottom of the sixth and the game was suspended by rain again. More than an hour later, the game was called and ruled complete.
Cal Poly's 11 hits included two hits each by Miller, Haniger, Matt Jensen and Gentile. Miller drove in three runs while Haniger and Gentile each had two RBI.
Pitching in his first Mustang game in three years, right-hander Steven Fischback allowed four runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Joey Wagman secured four outs, also giving up four runs and four hits, while Eugene Wright allowed the final two Missouri runs in absorbing the loss.
