CSUN Earns Walk-Off 2-1 Big West Baseball Victory Over Cal Poly

Sunday, May 8

Northridge, CA

1 pm

26-20, 7-8

CSUN

28-16, 7-11

Cal Poly

CSUN

CSUN Earns Walk-Off 2-1 Big West Baseball Victory Over Cal Poly

5/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Dylan Alexander's bases-loaded single to the gap in right field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted CSUN to a 2-1 Mother's Day victory over Cal Poly and a sweep of its three-game Big West Conference baseball series Sunday afternoon at Matador Field.

The loss spoiled a brilliant pitching performance by Mustang sophomore right-hander Jarred Zill (4-3) as he pitched eight shutout innings in his longest stint on the mound as a Mustang and tied his career high with eight strikeouts.

With the loss, Cal Poly falls to 26-20 for the season and 7-8 in the Big West, losing its sixth straight conference game since moving into a tie with Cal State Fullerton two weeks ago. CSUN is 28-16 and 7-11.

The only run of the game through the first eight innings came in the third inning as Brett Barbier singled to right field to score Kyle Marinconz from second base.

Zill (pictured above), who carried a three-hitter into the ninth, gave up a walk and a single to open the frame, then gave way to junior right-hander Justin Calomeni.

Branden Berry flied out to right field and both runners advanced to second and third. Albee Weiss drew a walk to load the bases and Nolan Bumstead's sacrifice fly to center field scored Smith, tying the game at 1-1. Justin Toerner walked to reload the bases and Alexander ended the game with his first-pitch drive into right-center field.

Cal Poly held the early lead in all three games of the series, only to be swept by CSUN for the first time since 2008. The Mustangs have not been swept in back-to-back Big West series since 2004 and went from 2011-15 without being swept in a Big West series until Long Beach State swept Cal Poly last weekend.

Cal Poly's four hits included a single and double by Marinconz. Alexander had two hits for CSUN.

Zill allowed two runs and four hits over eight-plus innings with one walk and eight strikeouts. The win went to Joe Ryan (1-0), the fourth CSUN pitcher of the game, as he worked the final 2 1/3 innings and did not allow a run or a hit with no walks and one strikeout.

CSUN starter Andrew Weston pitched five innings with one run, four hits, one walk and one strikeout.

Cal Poly plays a single game Tuesday night at Fresno State before returning home to host UC Irvine for a three-game Big West series Friday through Sunday in Baggett Stadium.