Cal Poly Beats Fresno State for First Victory of 2011 Season

Tuesday, March 1

Fresno, CA

6:5 pm

1-6

Fresno State

6-1

Cal Poly

Fresno State

Cal Poly Beats Fresno State for First Victory of 2011 Season

3/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. – Junior shortstop Mike Miller produced his second four-hit game in a row while junior second baseman Matt Jensen, junior center fielder Bobby Crocker and senior designated hitter DJ Gentile combined for seven RBI as Cal Poly earned its first victory of the 2011 baseball season, defeating previously unbeaten and No. 21-ranked Fresno State 11-4 in a non-conference game Tuesday night at Pete Beiden Field.

Miller, who went 4-for-4 with a walk in the series finale at Oklahoma State over the weekend, went 4-for-5 against the Bulldogs (6-1), but his lone RBI of the game came on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly. Miller's four singles raised his batting average for the season to .609.

Cal Poly (1-6) scored an unearned run in the first inning and never looked back, adding three runs in the third and two more in the fourth for a 6-2 cushion. Fresno State scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to pull to within 6-4, but could get no closer.

In addition to Miller's four hits, Crocker and junior catcher Elliot Stewart both singled twice as Cal Poly outhit the Bulldogs 11-6. The two teams combined for six errors – four by the Bulldogs – and three of the Mustangs' runs were unearned.

Sophomore right-hander Joey Wagman (1-1) pitched five innings for the win, allowing four runs – only two earned – and four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Senior southpaw Frankie Reed (pictured above) tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit baseball with a trio of strikeouts and junior right-hander Jeff Johnson pitched a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts.

Jensen drove in three runs with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the fourth inning, an RBI single in the sixth and a walk with the bases loaded in the ninth. Both of Gentile's RBI came courtesy of bases-loaded walks while Crocker knocked in a run with a groundout in the seventh and produced a ninth-inning RBI single.

Freshman first baseman Tim Wise and Miller both contributed sacrifice flies.

Senior shortstop Garrett Weber led Fresno State at the plate with a single and triple, driving in a pair of runs. Senior third baseman Danny Muno added a two-run home run.

Only two of Cal Poly's 11 runs were scored on hits -- RBI singles by Jensen and Crocker. The remaining nine runs came courtesy of three bases-loaded walks, a hit batsman with the bases loaded, two sacrifice flies, a wild pitch, a groundout and a Fresno State error.

Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee is now 18-7 against Fresno State in eight-plus season at the helm of the Mustangs. Cal Poly has won 17 of its last 21 games against the Bulldogs.

Cal Poly, which opened the season with seven consecutive games on the road, will open the home portion of the 2011 schedule this weekend, hosting Valparaiso (1-7) for a three-game series in Baggett Stadium.

Games on Friday and Saturday nights will start at 6 p.m., with the series finale Sunday to begin at 1 o'clock.