23-24, 10-7
UC Irvine
30-17, 12-5
Big West Series Even at a Game Apiece as UC Irvine Beats Cal Poly 9-6
5/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine scored seven runs in the third inning to erase a 5-1 deficit and rode the pitching of junior right-hander Matt Esparza to a 9-6 victory over Cal Poly in a Big West Conference baseball game Saturday night in Anteater Ballpark.
In a game televised regionally by Fox Sports Prime Ticket, the Anteaters evened the series at a game apiece – Cal Poly won Friday's game by the same 9-6 count – and improved to 30-17 for the year and 12-5 in Big West games, alone in second place.
Cal Poly remains in fourth place at 10-7 and is 23-24 for the season.
Cal State Fullerton clinched its series at home against UC Santa Barbara with a 10-1 victory. The Titans are 13-4 for first place in the Big West while the Gauchos fell to third place at 11-6.
Trailing 1-0, Cal Poly erupted for five runs in the top of the third inning. A single by Ryan Drobny and a double by John Schuknecht put runners at second and third with nobody out. Tommy Pluschkell singled to drive in the first run, a wild pitch plated the second run and Mark Mathias singled for a 3-1 Mustang lead.
After a single by Peter Van Gansen and a walk to Brian Mundell loaded the bases, Zack Zehner doubled to score two runs and give Cal Poly a 5-1 cushion, still with nobody out. Esparza remained in the game and managed to retire the next three Mustang batters without further damage.
UC Irvine erased any momentum the Mustangs had by scoring seven times in the bottom of the third. Highlight of the rally was a two-run double by Cole Krueter as the Anteaters chased Cal Poly starter Kyle Smith (5-6).
It was Smith's shortest outing in his 11 starts this season as he allowed six runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings with no walks and one strikeout. Sophomore right-hander Justin Calomeni pitched well in relief, giving up just one run and and four hits in 5 2/3 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. He retired the first 11 batters he faced.
Cal Poly got a run back in the sixth as Jordan Ellis doubled and came home on a single by Schuknecht. UC Irvine, however, tallied a run in the seventh to restore its three-run lead and held on.
UC Irvine put together a 15-hit offensive attack, led by catcher Jerry McClanahan with a double and two singles. Adam Alcantara, Mikey Duarte, Keston Hiura and Krueter each added two hits.
Cal Poly's nine hits included a single and double by both Zehner and Schuknecht. Ellis (pictured above) also had a double. Ellis and Zehner both extended their hitting streaks to 11 games while Mathias equaled his career-best hitting streak at 17 games with his third-inning RBI single.
Esparza (8-1) earned his eighth straight win, nearly going the distance as he allowed six runs and nine hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings. Cameron Bishop walked Peter Van Gansen and Sam Moore, facing the potential game-tying run, induced Brian Mundell to swing at the first pitch and ground into a force play at second base to end the game.
Final game of the series will be played Sunday at 1 o'clock, to be broadcast on ESPN3. Cal Poly's starter will be senior left-hander Taylor Chris (2-1, 4.25 ERA) while UC Irvine will go with senior southpaw Evan Manarino (5-2, 4.01 ERA).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Esparza, Matt (8-1)
L: Smith, Kyle (5-6)
S: Moore, Sam (4)
Batting:
2B: Zehner, Zack 1 ; Ellis, Jordan 1 ; Schuknecht, John 1
RBI: Mathias, Mark 1 ; Zehner, Zack 2 ; Schuknecht, John 1 ; Pluschkell, Tommy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathias, Mark 1 ; Van Gansen, Peter 1 ; Ellis, Jordan 1 ; Drobny, Ryan 1 ; Schuknecht, John 1 ; Pluschkell, Tommy 1
Batting:
2B: Alcantara, Adam 1 ; McClanahan, Jerry 1 ; Kreuter, Cole 2
RBI: Alcantara, Adam 1 ; Hiura, Keston 1 ; Holland, Mitchell 1 ; McClanahan, Jerry 1 ; Kreuter, Cole 2 ; Palmer, Grant 1 ; Paulino, Kris 1 ; Coss, Parker 1
SH: Bishop, Cameron 1 ; Palmer, Grant 1
SF: Hiura, Keston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Alcantara, Adam 2 ; Hiura, Keston 1 ; McClanahan, Jerry 2 ; Martinez, Andrew 1 ; Kreuter, Cole 1 ; Paulino, Kris 1 ; Coss, Parker 1
HBP: Martinez, Andrew 1
