Cal Poly Falls to Cal State Fullerton, 2-1, in Big West Series Opener

Friday, April 8

6 pm

17-11, 0-1

Cal State Fullerton

18-11, 4-0

Cal State Fullerton

Cal Poly

Cal Poly Falls to Cal State Fullerton, 2-1, in Big West Series Opener

4/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

KEVIN CORREIA FIRST PITCH

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Held to just one hit in the first six innings, Cal Poly dropped a 2-1 decision to Cal State Fullerton in the opening game of a three-game Big West Conference baseball series Friday night before 1,141 in Baggett Stadium.

Coach Larry Lee's Mustangs rallied for a run on four hits in the seventh, but left the bases loaded and also stranded a pair of runners in the ninth, suffering their fourth straight loss.

Cal Poly is 17-11 for the season and 0-1 in Big West games while Cal State Fullerton improved to 18-11 and 4-0.

Mustang sophomore southpaw Kyle Smith (4-2) (pictured above) allowed just one earned run over 6 1/3 innings, scattering six hits and striking out six, but an error in the sixth frame allowed Cal State Fullerton to score an unearned run without benefit of a hit and that proved to be the difference in the game.

That run gave the visiting Titans a 2-0 lead.

Cal Poly battled back with a run in the seventh on Kevin Morgan's fourth pinch hit of the season, a single through the left side of the Cal State Fullerton infield. The Mustangs still had the bases loaded with one out, but a strikeout and a fly out to left field ended the inning.

Trailing by a run in the ninth, Nick Meyer and Morgan both drew two-out walks, but Miles Chambers came out of the bullpen to strike out Alex McKenna and end the game, earning his first save.

The win went to Cal State Fullerton starter Connor Seabold (3-2), who pitched a one-hit shutout through six innings before tiring in the seventh, giving up two singles and a sacrifice bunt. Seabold struck out six and walked two.

Cal State Fullerton scored single runs in the fourth and sixth frames. Dalton Blaser singled to right field to cash in the first Titan tally and a Mustang error in the infield allowed Tanner Pinkston to score from second base in the sixth.

While the Titans stranded 10 runners on the basepaths, Cal Poly left nine. The Mustangs had a runner at second with one out in the second inning, left the bases loaded in the seventh and stranded a pair in the ninth.

Cal Poly's five hits, all singles, were by five different hitters. Kyle Marinconz's 11-game hitting streak came to an end.

Cal State Fullerton's nine-hit offensive attack included a single and double by Tim Richards and two singles each by Jerrod Bravo and Blaser.

Second game of the series is scheduled for Saturday night at 6, with sophomore right-hander Erich Uelmen (4-0) on the mound for Cal Poly.