Fischback Leads Cal Poly to 3-2 Victory Over Pacific

Saturday, May 21

Stockton, CA

6 pm

25-23, 14-9

Pacific

16-33, 8-12

Cal Poly

Pacific

Fischback Leads Cal Poly to 3-2 Victory Over Pacific

5/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

STOCKTON, Calif. – Senior right-hander Steven Fischback scattered six hits over seven innings for his seventh win of the season and junior right-hander Jeff Johnson earned his fifth save with three strikeouts as Cal Poly evened its Big West Conference baseball series against Pacific with a 3-2 victory Saturday night at Klein Family Field.

Fischback (7-2), who has five wins and two no-decisions in his last seven starts, struck out seven and walked two, giving up one run in the second inning.

Senior southpaw Frankie Reed allowed a run in the eighth inning and Johnson closed it out in the ninth.

With the win, Cal Poly (25-23, 14-10 Big West) clinches third place in the Big West standings. Pacific fell to 16-33 and 8-12.

Cal Poly scored its first two runs on ground balls to Pacific shortstop Josh Simms.

Bobby Crocker was hit by a pitch to open the game in the first inning and eventually came home on DJ Gentile's groundout.

After Pacific tallied a run in the second inning on Allen Riley's RBI double, Cal Poly regained the lead in the seventh as Crocker walker, moved to second base on Denver Chavez's 17th sacrifice bunt of the season, advanced to third on a wild pitch and beat the throw to the plate on Mike Miller's grounder to shortstop.

Leading 2-1, the Mustangs added insurance in the eighth on Mitch Haniger's sixth home run of the season and fifth in his last nine games.

The extra run was needed as Pacific scored in the bottom of the eighth. Tyger Pederson singled to lead off the frame and eventually scored on Brian Martin's grounder to second base.

Cal Poly's five hits included two doubles by Jimmy Allen, giving him three two-baggers for the series, and a pair of singles by J.J. Thompson. Allen has two hits in each of his last four games, raising his batting average 46 points to .250.

Pacific collected eight hits, led by Riley and Dustin Torchio with two hits each.

The loss went to Pacific senior right-hander Marcus Pointer (4-7), who allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings with five strikeouts and seven walks.

Rubber game of the series -- Pacific won Friday's contest 6-1 -- is set for Sunday at 1 o'clock with sophomore right-hander Joey Wagman (3-2, 4.26 ERA) on the mound for Cal Poly against Pacific senior right-hander Jake Hummel (4-4, 4.27 ERA).

Cal Poly has won 11 consecutive series against the Tigers dating back to the 2000 season.