Cal Poly Clinches Big West Series Against UC Riverside With 5-0 Shutout

Friday, May 26

6 pm

28-27, 16-7

UC Riverside

21-32, 7-16

UC Riverside

Cal Poly

Cal Poly Clinches Big West Series Against UC Riverside With 5-0 Shutout

5/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Michael Sanderson and Nick Meyer jumpstarted Cal Poly's offense with back-to-back solo home runs in the second inning and Spencer Howard pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings for his eighth win as Cal Poly clinched its Big West Conference baseball series against UC Riverside with a 5-0 victory Friday night before 1,505 inside Baggett Stadium.

Sanderson opened the second frame with his third home run of the year down the left-field line and Meyer hit the next pitch over the wall in left field as well, giving Howard more than enough run support as the Mustangs blanked the Highlanders for the second straight night.

With its fifth straight victory, Cal Poly is 28-27 for the season and 16-7 for second place alone in the Big West. Cal State Fullerton fell into third place, losing 2-1 in 10 innings to Long Beach State. The Mustangs have won seven of eight conference series this season, losing only to champion Long Beach State, two games to one.

UC Riverside fell to 21-32 and 7-16.

Cal Poly recorded its first back-to-back shutouts since blanking Santa Clara and Seattle in 2014 and shut out the same team twice in a series for the first time since holding Oklahoma State scoreless twice in a 2012 series at Baggett Stadium. The Mustangs also shut out Hawaii-Hilo twice in a six-game series in 2004.

In improving to 8-1 on the year, Howard (pictured above) earned his fifth straight win and became the first Mustang weekend starter to lose just once during an entire season since Kyle Anderson went 10-1 in 2012.

Howard, who lowered his ERA to 2.05, struck out 10 Highlander batters over 7 1/3 innings, one shy of his career high of 11 set against Wichita State earlier this year. His only loss was to UC Davis 3-0 in mid-April as Aggie southpaw Orlando Razo pitched a two-hit shutout.

Howard walked just one and came out after throwing 108 pitches and giving up back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth. He allowed two runners to reach third base and retired the side in order twice.

Sophomore Michael Clark secured the final five outs for his 11th save, retiring all five batters he faced and striking out two.

After the home runs by Sanderson (pictured at left) and Meyer (pictured at right) gave the Mustangs a 2-0 lead in the second inning, Cal Poly added another run in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

Kyle Marinconz grounded out to shortstop with the bases loaded in the seventh to knock in a run. In the eighth, Colby Barrick drew a bases-loaded walk and Alex McKenna singled to center field to drive in the final run of the game.

McKenna, Sanderson and Meyer each had two of Cal Poly's 12 hits. Marinconz added his third triple of the season. McKenna now has 30 multiple-hit games this season.

For the second straight night, UC Riverside had one hitter collect three hits. Right fielder AJ Sawyer went 3-for-4, including a double. Center fielder Mark Contreras added two singles and is hitting .361 for the year.

The loss went to Ryan Lillie (2-7) as he allowed three runs and nine hits over 6 2/3 innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.

Final game of the series will be played Saturday at 1 o'clock with junior southpaw Trent Shelton (1-0, 2.50 ERA) on the mound for Cal Poly. UC Riverside's starter will be senior right-hander Alex Fagalde (6-4, 3.82 ERA).

Five Mustang seniors -- pitcher Slater Lee, infielders Alec Smith, Brett Binning and Michael Sanderson and outfielder Kevin Morgan -- will be honored in a pregame ceremony at 12:35 p.m.

Photos courtesy of Cal Poly Baseball Student Manager Jack Duffy