17-10
Santa Clara
13-14
Santa Clara Earns 10-1 Midweek Victory Over Cal Poly
4/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara shattered a 1-1 tie with six runs in the fifth inning and coasted to a 10-1 victory over Cal Poly in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night in Stephen Schott Stadium.
Coach Larry Lee's youthful Mustang club has lost three straight games for the first time this season, falling to 17-10 for the season. Santa Clara improved to 13-14.
Cal Poly, which was 14-1 when scoring first, scored in the top of the first inning Tuesday. Shortstop Kyle Marinconz (pictured above) singled with one out, first baseman Brett Barbier drew a walk and third baseman Michael Sanderson singled down the right-field line, scoring Marinconz.
That rally was against Santa Clara starter Mitchell White. Freddie Erlandson (2-0) relieved White to start the second frame and slammed the door on Cal Poly for six innings, allowing no runs and just two hits with no walks and a trio of strikeouts.
At one time, Erlandson retired 11 Mustang batters in a row. His six innings of work Tuesday night exceeded his season total of 5 1/3 innings.
Santa Clara evened the game at 1-1 with a run in the fourth inning and grabbed the lead with six runs in the fifth on six hits and a Mustang error. Final two runs of the uprising were unearned.
Pinch hitter Joe Becht tripled to drive in a run in the eighth and Matt Smithwick, also a pinch-hitter, belted a two-run home run, also in the eighth.
Andrew Bernstein, the second of seven pitchers used by Cal Poly, suffered the loss, allowing the first two runs in the fifth inning. Starter Craig Colen pitched three-plus innings, allowing one run and two hits with three walks and no strikeouts.
Cal Poly's five hits were singles by five different hitters. Marinconz extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his first-inning single.
Santa Clara, which scored a season-high 13 runs Sunday against Saint Mary's, added 10 runs on 12 hits Tuesday night, led by Kyle Cortopassi, TC Florentine, Kert Woods and Ryan Budnick, each with two hits.
Mustang catcher Nick Meyer picked off two Santa Clara runners – one at first and the other at third – and now has eight for the season, tops in the Big West Conference.
Cal Poly opens Big West play Friday night against defending conference champion Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m. inside Baggett Stadium. The Titans reached the College World Series in 2015.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ERLANDSON, Freddie (2-0)
L: Bernstein, Andrew (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: Sanderson, Michael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Marinconz, Kyle 1
HBP: Doherty, Dylan 1
Batting:
2B: FLORENTINE, TC 1 ; WOODS, Kert 1
3B: BECHT, Joe 1
HR: SMITHWICK, Matt 1
RBI: BECHT, Joe 1 ; MEDITZ, Tyler 1 ; FLORENTINE, TC 1 ; SMITHWICK, Matt 2 ; BRODT, Jake 1 ; WOODS, Kert 1 ; CRESTO, John 1 ; BUDNICK, Ryan 1
SF: MEDITZ, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CORTOPASSI, Kyle 1 ; MEYLAN, Grant 1 ; MEDITZ, Tyler 1 ; HABERLE, Evan 1 ; FLORENTINE, TC 1 ; SMITHWICK, Matt 1 ; BRODT, Jake 1 ; WOODS, Kert 1 ; CRESTO, John 1 ; BUDNICK, Ryan 1
SB: FLORENTINE, TC 1 ; BRODT, Jake 1 ; WOODS, Kert 1 ; CRESTO, John 1
HBP: CORTOPASSI, Kyle 1
PO: BECHT, Joe 1 ; BUDNICK, Ryan 1
