No. 5 Cal Poly Falls to No. 16 UC Irvine 3-2 in Big West Series Opener

Friday, May 9

6 pm

39-10, 14-5

UC Irvine

34-14, 15-1

UC Irvine

Cal Poly

No. 5 Cal Poly Falls to No. 16 UC Irvine 3-2 in Big West Series Opener

5/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – No. 16 UC Irvine was held to just three hits and struck out 15 times, but the Anteaters still managed to beat No. 5 Cal Poly 3-2 in the opener of a Big West Conference baseball series Friday night before 2,582 in Baggett Stadium.

The matchup of the top two teams in the Big West was decided by an unearned run in the fifth inning as UC Irvine improved to 34-14 overall and 15-1 in conference games with its ninth straight victory. Cal Poly, which had a three-game winning streak snapped, fell to 39-10 and 14-5.

Cal Poly junior sophomore Matt Imhof (8-4) struck out 13 UC Irvine batters over eight innings and junior closer Reed Reilly struck out two more in the ninth. Imhof suffered the loss as he gave up three runs (two earned) and three hits in eight innings, walking four. He retired 10 Anteaters in a row from the fifth through eighth innings and reached double figures in strikeouts for the fifth time this season.

But the win went to UC Irvine senior right-hander Andrew Morales (9-0) as he struck out nine, walked one and scattered five hits over eight innings, giving up two runs. Morales, who retired the side in order four times, is 19-0 in two seasons at UC Irvine and 40-1 since graduating from South Hills High School, including a 21-1 mark in two years at Rio Hondo Community College. Lone loss was to Cosumnes River on May 18, 2012, in the California Community College State Championship while he was a sophomore at Rio Hondo.

Junior right-hander Sam Moore picked up his nation-leading 23rd save despite giving up a leadoff single to Mustang junior right fielder Nick Torres in the ninth.

Torres (pictured above) was the lone Mustang with multiple hits, singling twice. Junior left fielder Zack Zehner added a double.

Center fielder Justin Castro, batting in the seventh spot, collected two of UC Irvine's three hits.

UC Irvine tallied a run in the second inning as catcher Jerry McClanaan drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and came home on Castro's single up the middle.

Cal Poly answered with a pair of runs in the third for a 2-1 lead. Senior catcher Chris Hoo led off with a walk and sophomore shortstop Peter Van Gansen singled up the middle. A single to center field by sophomore second baseman Mark Mathias tied the game at 1-1 and Van Gansen scored on a safety squeeze bunt by junior center fielder Jordan Ellis.

Mathias has hit safely in 36 of his last 38 games, going 63-for-136 (.463) at the plate.

UC Irvine regained the lead in the fifth with two runs. Castro led off with a single and second baseman John Brontsema drew a one-out walk. Left fielder Grant Palmer singled to center field to drive home Castro, Brontsema stopping at second.

In an attempt to pick off Brontsema at second, Imhof threw the ball into center field, Brontsema taking third. He scored on a sacrifice fly down the right-field line by shortstop Chris Rabago. Imhof retired the next batter, making the final run unearned.

Neither team scored the rest of the way.

Torres led off the sixth inning with a single down the left-field line, but a double play erased him. Hoo singled with one out in the seventh but was caught in a rundown between first and second on a busted hit-and-run play. Torres also led off the ninth with a bloop single to left, but was left stranded at first as Moore struck out the next three batters to end the game.

Cal Poly lost at home for only the third time in 28 games this season.

Second game of the series will be played Saturday night at 6 o'clock, with Cal Poly freshman right-hander Justin Calomeni (7-2, 3.92 ERA) to face UC Irvine junior southpaw Elliot Surrey (6-2, 2.09 ERA).

Final game of the series and Cal Poly's last home game of the 2014 regular season will be played Sunday at 1 o'clock with four seniors – Hoo, Allen, Michael Hoo and Tim Wise – to be honored in a pregame ceremony.