Three-Run Home Run by Fresno State Sends Cal Poly to 9-5 Defeat

Tuesday, May 10

Fresno, CA

6:5 pm

26-21

Fresno State

33-17

Cal Poly

Fresno State

Three-Run Home Run by Fresno State Sends Cal Poly to 9-5 Defeat

5/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. – Freshman pinch hitter Jeremiah Burks belted a three-run home run to snap a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning and Fresno State went on to beat Cal Poly 9-5 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night inside Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.

Cal Poly replaced freshman right-hander Bobby Ay with southpaw Justin Bruihl, also a freshman, to face designated hitter Kevin Viers, a left-handed batter. Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole countered with the right-handed hitting Burks and he responded with his first collegiate homer.

With its fourth straight loss and eighth in the last nine games, Cal Poly falls to 26-21 overall. Fresno State, avenging a 7-1 loss to the Mustangs three weeks ago inside Baggett Stadium, improved to 33-17 with its seventh win in eight contests.

Cal Poly jumped on Fresno State starter Anthony Arias for two runs in the top of the first inning. Nick Meyer (pictured above) knocked in both runs with a single to left field.

The host Bulldogs answered with four runs on four hits and a walk in the bottom of the first to grab a 4-2 lead. Cal Poly knotted the score at 4-4 with two runs in the third. Brett Barbier walked, John Schuknecht doubled and both runners came home on wild pitches.

Burks' three-run blast shattered the deadlock. Cal Poly got one run back in the sixth on Alec Smith's RBI single through the left side of the Bulldog infield, but could not get any closer as Fresno State tacked on two more runs in the seventh.

Cal Poly's nine hits included two each by Schuknecht, Kyle Marinconz and Michael Sanderson. Doubles were notched by Marinconz and Schuknecht. Marinconz leads the Mustangs with 19 multiple-hit games and Schuknecht now has 16.

Fresno State compiled 14 hits, including three each by Zach Ashford and Aaron Arruda and two hits by Jesse Medrano. Arruda knocked in three runs with a bases-loaded double in the first inning.

Mustang starter Bobby Ay (1-1) gave up six runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in absorbing the loss. Bruihl, Craig Colen, Spencer Howard and Thomas Triantos also pitched for Cal Poly.

The win went to Mark Reecce (1-3) as he pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings. He was the second of four Bulldog pitchers used in the game.

Cal Poly, which has played eight of its last nine games on the road, , losing all eight, returns to Baggett Stadium for a three-game Big West Conference series against UC Irvine. First pitch both Friday and Saturday will be at 6 p.m. with a 1 p.m. start in the series finale Sunday.