Cal Poly Rallies From Early Deficit to Beat Saint Mary's, 5-4

Tuesday, May 3

6 pm

20-19

Saint Mary's

18-22

Saint Mary's

Cal Poly

Cal Poly Rallies From Early Deficit to Beat Saint Mary's, 5-4

5/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Sophomore center fielder Mitch Haniger produced his first three-hit game of the season and drove in the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth inning while sophomore right-hander Joey Wagman pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for the win as Cal Poly rallied to beat Saint Mary's 5-4 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night in Baggett Stadium.

Haniger's two-run single completed Cal Poly's comeback from an early 3-0 deficit and lifted the Mustangs to 20-19 for the season. Saint Mary's fell to 18-22.

Wagman struck out five, walked one and did not allow a hit, retiring the final nine Saint Mary's batters of the game to improve to 3-2 on the year. Jordan Mills, who surrendered the two-run single to Haniger, fell to 0-5 as he pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Both teams put together 10-hit offensive attacks.

In addition to Haniger's three singles, designated hitter Elliot Stewart, second baseman Denver Chavez and left fielder Jono Grayson each added two hits for Cal Poly. All 10 Mustang hits were singles and it was Grayson's first career start and first multiple-hit game as a Mustang.

Saint Mary's received seven of its 10 hits from the bottom four hitters in the lineup. Designated hitter Shawn O'Brien, center fielder Donald Collins and shortstop Michael Gastelum each produced a pair of hits for the Gaels.

Saint Mary's scored three times before the seats were warm in the first inning. Second baseman Richard Boas doubled home the first run and O'Brien singled to left field to knock in two more.

Cal Poly pecked away, scoring single runs in the second, third and fifth innings before taking the lead for the first time in the sixth on Haniger's two-run single up the middle.

Chavez singled to knock in the run in the second inning while Stewart's RBI single in the third cut Saint Mary's lead to 3-2. The Gaels scored a run in the fifth as Patrick Wisdom came home while O'Brien was caught in a rundown between first and second trying for a stolen base.

Cal Poly pulled to within 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Stewart, setting the stage for Haniger's game-winning heroics in the sixth. Chavez singled, Jordan Hadlock drew a walk and Grayson's sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position. Haniger drove in both runs with his third single of the game on a 2-2 pitch from Mills.

Saint Mary's was held to one run and six hits over the final eight innings of the game.

Haniger (pictured above) has 18 hits in his last 59 at-bats (.305) over 16 games and has hit safely in 14 of those 16 contests, hiking his batting average from .216 to .254. Stewart, who had four doubles in the Long Beach State series last weekend, is 7-for-14 with six RBI in his last four games to improve his average 38 points to .295.

Cal Poly resumes Big West Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at UC Irvine. Friday's game starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by 2 o'clock contests both Saturday and Sunday. The series finale will be televised by ESPNU.