Freshman Ryan Stafford compiled his second three-hit game -- he also has a four-hit game this season -- in Sunday's 6-4 win over CSUN, completing a Big West series sweep.
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Cal Poly Completes Big West Series Sweep with 6-4 Win over CSUN
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Ryan Stafford collected his second three-hit game as a Mustang and Collin Villegas doubled for the third time in the series, driving in an insurance run, as Cal Poly completed a three-game Big West Conference baseball series sweep Sunday with a 6-4 win over CSUN inside Baggett Stadium.
Stafford singled twice and doubled once, driving in a run and lifting his average to .329 for the Mustangs, who won despite being outhit 14-6 and moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Big West with UC Irvine and CSU Bakersfield, all with 3-0 marks. The Anteaters swept UC Davis at home while the Roadrunners won all three games at UC Riverside.
UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State also were bidding for 3-0 starts, but Cal State Fullerton scored three times in the ninth for a 7-6 win over the Gauchos while Hawai'i knocked off the Dirtbags 6-3.
Collin Villegas doubled three times
in the CSUN series with four RBIs."As a team, we talked about starting a new season," said 20th-year Mustang head coach Larry Lee, whose club was 7-9 entering Big West play this weekend. "The past is in the past and you just have to learn from it and continue to grow as a team.
"We finally got a sense of how to win a ballgame, play consistently and understand that, in every conference game, you have to overcome your deficiencies," Lee added. "One facet of the game isn't enough. The other facets have to pick up the slack."
Cal Poly, at 10-9 overall, is above the .500 mark for the first time since defeating Missouri State on Feb. 26 for its third win in five games. CSUN also is 10-9 for the year.
Leading all the way, Cal Poly broke up a scoreless tie with two runs in the fourth inning and added three in the fifth and one more in the sixth.
With runners on first and second with two outs in the fourth, Stafford singled in the infield and the throw from shortstop was wide of the mark at first base, allowing both runners to score.
After CSUN scored a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Gabe Gonzalez, Cal Poly loaded the bases with one out on two walks and an infield hit by Reagan Doss in the bottom of the frame.
On pinch-hitter Taison Corio's grounder to first base, the throw was made to the plate, but catcher Graysen Tarlow did not have his foot on the plate, allowing Villegas to score on the fielder's choice. Stafford's sacrifice fly to center field made it 4-1 and Brooks Lee greeted Matador reliever Xavier Martinez with a first-pitch RBI single to left-center field for a 5-1 Mustang lead.
With one out and two on in the sixth, Villegas doubled down the left-field line to drive in the last Mustang run of the game. Villegas produced a double in each game of the series and eight of his 11 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including seven doubles.
CSUN rallied for three runs in the ninth, Gonzalez driving in two with a double, before Jason Franks secured the final two outs of the game on a groundout and a fly ball to right field.
Kaden Sheedy (2-2) earned the win after starter Dylan Villalobos pitched one scoreless inning and Zach Button notched two scoreless frames. Evan Tomlinson pitched well with 3 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering three hits.
Stafford was the lone Mustang with multiple hits Sunday. CSUN was paced by five batters with two hits each, led by Gonzalez with his single, double and three RBIs. Tarlow, Kai Moody, Andrew Sojka and Bart West also had two hits for the Matadors.
Cal Poly swept the series despite being outhit in the final two games. Stafford was 5-for-12 with a double and one RBI while shortstop Brooks Lee was 4-for-10 at the plate with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs. Villegas was next with three hits, all doubles, and four RBIs.
Cal Poly hits the road for four games next week, visiting Cal for a single game Tuesday at 3 p.m. and resuming Big West play Friday through Sunday at UC San Diego.
