California
No. 6 Cal Poly Falls to Cal 8-3 in Second Game of Series
3/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly's 18-game home winning streak stretching to the 2013 season came to an end Saturday night as California erupted for four runs in the second inning and never looked back en route to an 8-3 victory over the No. 6 Mustangs at Baggett Stadium.
Cal Poly had won its final seven home games of the 2013 campaign and the first 11 of the current season, making the 18-game streak the longest in NCAA Division I, before the Golden Bears parlayed a 12-hit offensive attack and strong relief pitching by Trevor Hildenberger into the win.
Cal Poly, which had an eight-game winning streak snapped, fell to 18-4 for the season. Cal snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 11-10.
Cal put together five hits and a pair of sacrifice bunts for four runs in the second inning. Catcher Mitchell Kranson highlighted the rally with a two-run single.
Cal Poly battled back with two runs in the fifth on an RBI single by sophomore second baseman Mark Mathias, stretching his hitting streak to 12 games, and a wild pitch. Both teams scored single runs in the sixth to maintain the two-run Cal advantage.
Cal Poly nearly pulled to within one run in the sixth, but with one out and runners at first and third, senior third baseman Jimmy Allen grounded into an inning-ending double play. The throw from second base appeared to pull first baseman Nick Halamandaris off the bag, which would have allowed the run to score, making it 5-4, but Allen was called out.
Freshman left fielder Aaron Knapp, 0-for-8 in his first five weeks at Cal, hit a decisive two-run inside-the-park home run to center field in the eighth as the Golden Bears pulled away.
Lefty Kyle Porter (3-1) earned the win, allowing three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. Hildenberger earned his fifth save by pitching 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit and no walks with four strikeouts.
The loss went to Mustang freshman right-hander Justin Calomeni (5-1) as he gave up five runs (four earned) and six hits in five-plus innings.
The Golden Bears had scored just 11 runs in their last eight games before tallying eight on Saturday night.
Cal's 12 hits included a double and two singles by Halamandaris, a single and double by designated hitter Devon Rodriguez and two singles by shortstop Derek Campbell. Second baseman Brenden Farney knocked in two runs with a single and sacrifice fly.
Cal Poly was limited to just six hits, including a single and double by sophomore designated hitter Brian Mundell (pictured above).
Third game of the four-game set will be played Sunday at 1 o'clock with Cal Poly sophomore right-hander Casey Bloomquist (4-0, 0.99 ERA) to face Cal junior southpaw Michael Theofanopoulos (1-3, 3.80 ERA).
Final game of the series is set for Monday at 3 p.m.
