Cal Poly Falls to Pepperdine in Second Round of SLO Regional

Saturday, May 31

6 pm

41-16

Pepperdine

46-11

Cal Poly

Pepperdine

Cal Poly Falls to Pepperdine in Second Round of SLO Regional

6/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Pepperdine rallied for two runs in the seventh inning to overcome a 1-0 deficit and Aaron Brown and Eric Karch combined to hold Cal Poly to three hits as the Waves edged the Mustangs 2-1 in a second-round game of the 2014 NCAA Division I San Luis Obispo Regional on Saturday night before 2,941 in Baggett Stadium.

Cal Poly (46-11), losing for the first time in 42 games when leading after six innings, will play Sacramento State in a rematch of Friday's opening-round game, won by the Mustangs 4-2, on Sunday at 1 p.m. in an elimination game.

The winner faces Pepperdine (41-16) in the championship final at 6 p.m. Should the Waves fall, another game will be played Monday night at 6.

Cal Poly scored in the second inning on a one-out bases-loaded sacrifice fly by second baseman Mark Mathias.

Mustang sophomore right-hander Casey Bloomquist had a one-hit shutout going through six innings before Pepperdine broke through for its two runs in the seventh.

With one out, catcher Aaron Barnett's fly ball to left-center field fell to the turf as Mustang left fielder Zack Zehner and center fielder Jordan Ellis collided. Barnett ended up at third with a triple and pinch-runner Jeremy Goldenetz came home on a double off the right-field wall by second baseman Hutton Moyer.

"There was a lack of communication," said Zehner. "I called it first and there was a lack of communication, but he's the center fielder and it's his ball so I just didn't get out of the way."

Shortstop Manny Jefferson's pop-up behind first base was dropped by John Schuknecht for an error, allowing Moyer to score the go-ahead run.

"A tough one," said 12th-year Mustang head coach Larry Lee. "We let an opportunity slide by. Casey has been our most consistent pitcher all year and he showed it again tonight. There was miscommunication (in the outfield) and you just can't do that in a close ball game. It makes the road to where we want to go a little bit more difficult."

Mustang designated hitter Brian Mundell reached base on a Pepperdine throwing error with two outs in the eighth, but was thrown out trying to take second base by Moyer backing up the play. Karch retired Cal Poly in order in the ninth for his 15th save.

Brown (12-1) earned the victory, allowing one unearned run and three hits in eight innings with four walks and four strikeouts.

The loss went to Bloomquist (12-2) (pictured at left), who threw just 91 pitches in eight innings and allowed two runs (one earned) and seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.

"Probably one of the most exciting games that I have had the opportunity to be a part of," said Pepperdine head coach Steve Rodriguez. "I think what you saw tonight were pretty impressive performances by two really good pitchers. This might be the regional where the fortuitous bounces actually went our way. We have had some really bad luck in past regionals.

"(Bloomquist) was pounding the zone," Rodriguez added. "He pitched a lot of strikes tonight. From his fastball to his changeup, he did a really good job. We actually saw him in a Tuesday start last year, so we had seen him before, but his velocity has spiked and his breaking ball is a little bit sharper."

Pepperdine, which won despite committing four errors, three by third baseman Austin Davidson, was led offensively by Jefferson with two singles and Moyer with a a single and double. Mundell had two of Cal Poly's three hits, both singles. Third baseman Jimmy Allen (pictured at top) added a single.

The two teams split a pair of games in the regular season – Pepperdine winning 11-4 on April 29 in Malibu and Cal Poly answering with a 5-1 triumph May 6 in San Luis Obispo.

Justin Calomeni (8-2, 3.50 ERA) of Cal Poly will be opposed by Sacramento State's Justin Dillon (4-1, 3.23 ERA) in a matchup of freshman right-handers Sunday afternoon.

"Hopefully we get a good outing from (Calomeni)," said Lee. "We need to take care of that 1 o'clock game and that'll be tough because Sacramento State is now playing with some confidence."

The Hornets eliminated Arizona State with a 5-4 victory Saturday.

Photo by Ray Ambler