No. 21 Cal Poly Eliminated From Los Angeles Regional by San Diego, 8-5

Sunday, June 2

Jackie Robinson Stadium, UCLA

2:5 pm

40-19

San Diego

37-24

Cal Poly

U. San Diego

No. 21 Cal Poly Eliminated From Los Angeles Regional by San Diego, 8-5

6/2/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS (KSBY)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – San Diego scored four runs in the sixth inning to break open a 4-3 contest and held on for an 8-5 victory over No. 21 Cal Poly in an elimination game of the NCAA Division I Los Angeles Regional on Sunday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

San Diego sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth and they produced the quartet of runs on just one hit – a two-run single by Troy Conyers. The Toreros added two more runs in the inning on bases-loaded walks.

Cal Poly answered with a pair of runs in the seventh on junior third baseman Jimmy Allen's two-run single to right field, but could get no closer. Allen (pictured at right) had three hits on the day and finished the regional going 8-for-13 (.615) with two doubles and five RBI.

"I don't know, it's difficult to say," Allen said when asked why he performed so well during the regional. "Baseball's obviously an up-and-down game. I think this weekend I was just really relaxed and tried to clear my mind as much as I could and obviously, being a regional on TV, all the people in the stands, I did whatever I could to just make things simple and kind of relax everything.

"It's ironic that, when the most pressure's on the line, is when I felt the most relaxed, so I just keep to that mindset and hopefully it carries me to the summer and then next year," Allen added.

Despite the loss, Cal Poly concluded its most successful Division I season with a 40-19 record, earning its second regional playoff berth and winning a regional game for the first time with Friday's 9-2 win over San Diego.

"The finality of the situation, it's a tough one," said 11th-year Mustang head coach Larry Lee. "I think we played really well. We had a great season and I think we continued to get better as the season progressed. Tough when your season ends so abruptly, but I think our players can be proud of what they accomplished this year.

"I think we got the most out of this team," Lee added. "When you win 40 games out on the West Coast, that's saying something. It's very difficult to win ballgames out here because of midweek games or against strong opponents and it's just tough to get a regional berth out here because of RPI.

"RPI worked this year—don't ask me how. We played quality non-conference schedules in the past and it seems like we're always around 55 to 65 in RPI. Obviously winning at Kansas State a couple games and playing Notre Dame, playing teams outside of the west, helped.

"If we were located near a major airport and had enough money and we didn't mind missing class time, you could possibly set up your schedule to have a high RPI, but it's unrealistic where we are. We try to play the best possible non-conference opponents. We tried to play outside if at all possible, but this year everything just kind of fell into place and it was a good feeling."

On Sunday the Mustangs outhit the Toreros 10-8 but fell short on the scoreboard by three runs. In addition to Allen's three hits, freshman first baseman John Schuknecht added two singles and freshman shortstop Peter Van Gansen contributed a double.

Sophomore center fielder Jordan Ellis had four hits in the regional while Schuknecht (left), Van Gansen. senior second baseman Denver Chavez and freshman designated hitter Brian Mundell each added three hits for the Mustangs.

Cal Poly never led in the game, but caught the Toreros at 1-1 and 3-3 before San Diego scored a run in the fifth and four more in the sixth to pull away.

Senior catcher Elliot Stewart's RBI single in the second inning tied the game at 1-1 and the Mustangs knotted the score at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly by Stewart in the fourth and an RBI single by Ellis in the fifth.

Stewart played his final game as a Mustang on Sunday.

"When I look back on this last game, it's just, for me, all about getting here," Stewart said. "We didn't make it the previous four years I was at Cal Poly and I'm just glad we made it here.

"We battled, we made a statement, we kind of put Cal Poly on the map and we want the future guys coming through the program to follow our steps and end up making it to a Super Regional and ultimately Omaha. I'm really proud of our guys and I'm just glad we made it here.

"Losing the last two games, it's obviously not what we wanted, especially after beating USD the first day, Stewart added. "We were expecting to handle it against UCLA and win this thing and go to the Super, but overall it was a great season and I'm still proud of our guys and proud of our performances. It's not what we wanted, but we obviously have to live with it. It's just the way it goes."

Added Allen, "Well it just makes me want to come back even more next year, have everyone experience it -- especially the incoming freshmen. It was an unbelievable experience just with all the family and friends that came and supported me and the team. Just the atmosphere we had, it was similar to a Cal Poly home game, but it was obviously more on the line. It was just an awesome experience and I won't forget it."

San Diego was led offensively by second baseman Austin Bailey and catcher Austin Green, each with two hits.

Lefty Troy Conyers (3-2), the second of four Torero pitchers used in the game, earned the win, pitching 2 2/3 innings and allowing three runs and four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Max Homick earned his sixth save by securing the final five outs.

The loss went to Mustang junior right-hander Michael Holback (3-2), the second of four Cal Poly pitchers. Holback struggled with his control, pitching 2 1/3 innings and allowing five runs (two earned) on just two hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

Junior righty Chase Johnson pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts, and did not allow a run in his last six outings of the season over 9 1/3 innings.

With the win, San Diego advanced to the championship finals against UCLA on Sunday night. In the first meeting between the two schools this season, UCLA posted a 6-0 victory to advance to the Super Regionals next weekend against the winner of the Fullerton Regional (Cal State Fullerton or Arizona State). The site will be announced Monday night.

Cal Poly had three players on the All-Regional squad -- third baseman Jimmy Allen, outfielder Jordan Ellis and designated hitter Brian Mundell.