Three-Run Double by Barbier Sparks Cal Poly to 7-6 Win Over UC Riverside

Saturday, May 16

1 pm

25-25, 12-8

UC Riverside

13-38, 2-18

UC Riverside

Cal Poly

Three-Run Double by Barbier Sparks Cal Poly to 7-6 Win Over UC Riverside

5/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Sophomore catcher Brett Barbier's three-run double snapped a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning and Cal Poly clinched its Big West Conference baseball series against UC Riverside with a 7-6 victory Saturday afternoon before 1,038 in Baggett Stadium.

The Mustangs, who have won 12 of their last 14 home games and have won four straight home series, evened their overall mark for the second time this season as Cal Poly has gone 15-7 since falling eight games below the .500 mark on April 4.

Cal Poly is 25-25 for the season and 12-8 for fourth place in the Big West. Only other time the Mustangs reached the .500 mark was at 23-23 after winning the opener of a series at UC Irvine last week.

UC Riverside suffered its 11th straight loss, falling to 13-38 for the year and 2-18 in conference games.

UC Riverside, which trailed 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3, tied the score three times, the last at 4-4 in the top of the eighth on an RBI single to center field by Vince Fernandez.

Cal Poly loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth on singles by Tommy Pluschkell and Peter Van Gansen plus a walk to Jordan Ellis. Barbier's first-pitch shot to left-center ticked off the fingertips of the glove of a diving Mark Contreras and rolled to the warning track, driving in three runs for a 7-4 Mustang lead.

Barbier (pictured at right) has driven in three or more runs five times in Cal Poly's last 19 games, beginning with a six-RBI performance against Hawai'i on April 12. He had a total of six RBI through Cal Poly's first 31 games and 25 RBIs since.

UC Riverside did not go quietly in the ninth. Edgar Morales singled to knock in a run and the Highlanders loaded the bases with out out. A sacrifice fly by Contreras made it 7-6, but Austin Colvin grounded out to first base to end the game, leaving two runners on base.

Mustang freshman southpaw Kyle Smith, bidding to even his record at 6-6, scattered seven hits over seven innings, allowing three runs and one walk with five strikeouts. He left the game with Cal Poly leading 4-3 after seven frames.

Senior southpaw Taylor Chris (3-2) surrendered the tying run in the eighth and two unearned runs in the ninth, but earned the victory with two innings of work in relief of Smith.

The loss went to UC Riverside starter Joie Dunyon (1-4) as he gave up six runs (five earned) and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings with one walk and a pair of strikeouts.

For the second straight game, UC Riverside outhit Cal Poly, this time 12-9, paced by Contreras and Fernandez with three hits each. Fernandez, however, was picked off first base twice by Smith. Morales added two hits for the Highlanders.

Barbier, Pluschkell and junior designated hitter Brian Mundell all had two hits for Cal Poly. Mundell's wind-blown double in shallow right field scored a run in the fourth inning and Pluschkell singled to knock in a run in the third frame.

It was Pluschkell's two-run home run, the first of his Mustang career, in the second inning Friday night that sparked Cal Poly to a 6-2 win in the series opener.

Junior right fielder John Schuknecht's long fly ball to left field in the third inning was lost in the sun for an RBI triple and junior first baseman Ryan Drobny knocked in a run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.

Junior second baseman Mark Mathias' 19-game hitting streak came to an end as did Ellis' 13-game streak.

Cal Poly's other series wins this season were against Pacific and Oregon State on the road and Hawai'i, Long Beach State and CSUN at home. Lone Mustang sweep of the year was against Hawai'i.

Final home game of the season will be played Sunday at 1 o'clock with Cal Poly freshman right-hander Jarred Zill (3-1, 3.41 ERA) to face UC Riverside senior southpaw Kevin Sprague (3-6, 4.87 ERA). Zill has made six starts this season, all in midweek games, and will be the seventh Mustang pitcher to start in a series finale.

Prior to the game, six Mustang seniors and one junior will be honored on Senior Day. The seniors are Ellis, Pluschkell, Chris, outfielder Zack Zehner and pitchers Danny Zandona and Michael Dingilian while Drobny, a redshirt junior who will graduate in a few weeks, will be honored as well.