Radeke Strikes Out 14 As Cal Poly Beats Valparaiso 8-3

Friday, March 4

6 pm

2-6

Valparaiso

1-9

Valparaiso

Cal Poly

Radeke Strikes Out 14 As Cal Poly Beats Valparaiso 8-3

3/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Junior right-hander Mason Radeke tied a school Division I record with 14 strikeouts over seven innings as Cal Poly opened the home portion of its 2011 baseball schedule with an 8-3 victory over Valparaiso in the first game of a three-game non-conference series Friday night in Baggett Stadium.

Junior center fielder Bobby Crocker produced three hits while sophomore right fielder Mitch Haniger drove in three runs with a pair of hits to lead the Mustangs to their second win in eight starts.

Valparaiso, nearing the end of a nine-game road trip through California, fell to 1-9.

Radeke (1-1) did not allow a walk, struck out the side twice, threw 109 pitches and far exceeded his previous career high for strikeouts, which was eight accomplished twice a year ago. The Santa Barbara High School graduate allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits, dropping his ERA to 4.50.

Radeke (pictured above) tied the Mustangs' Division I record of 14 strikeouts set by Mike Zirelli against Temple in 1999.

Senior right-hander Eugene Wright allowed an unearned run and two hits in two innings.

Crocker singled twice and doubled once, lifting his average 59 points to .281, while Haniger added a single and double to lift his average to .300.

Crocker's third-inning double tied the game at 1-1 while Haniger's two-run double down the left field line in the fifth inning snapped a 2-2 tie and capped a three-run Mustang rally. Catcher Elliot Stewart sparked the uprising with a one-out solo home run to left-center field, his first of the year.

Haniger also singled in a run in the four-run Cal Poly seventh-inning uprising that broke the game open. Shortstop Mike Miller's bunt single also scored a run, as did a bloop single down the right field line by designated hitter DJ Gentile.

Valparaiso was led offensively by designated hitter Will Hagel with a single and double, driving in one run. Cal Poly outhit the Crusaders, 9-7.

Senior right-hander Damon McCormick (0-2) allowed eight runs and seven hits in six innings.

Valparaiso is playing its first 23 games of the 2011 season on the road. The Crusaders lost three of four games at Cal State Northridge last weekend and dropped a pair of midweek games at Cal State Bakersfield.

Second game of the Mustangs-Crusaders series will be played Saturday night at 6 with Cal Poly to send junior southpaw Kyle Anderson (0-2, 1.86 ERA) to the mound against Valparaiso junior left-hander Tyler Deetjen (1-1, 3.75 ERA).

Deetjen scattered four hits with three strikeouts and no walks in a seven-inning 2-1 win at Cal State Northridge last Sunday.

Cal Poly, which played its first seven games on the road, losing the first six before defeating No. 21 Fresno State 11-4 on Tuesday, opened a stretch of 17 of 18 games at home with Friday's victory.