Friday, April 7
San Luis Obispo, CA
6 p.m.
9
vs
8
UC Riverside
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Cal Poly first baseman Joe Yorke collected his sixth career game of four or more hits Friday with a double and three singles, driving in three runs, in the Mustangs' 9-8 series-clinching win over UC Riverside.
Photo by: Maddie Harrell
Cal Poly Clinches Series Versus UC Riverside on Friday with 9-8 Win
4/7/2023 9:54:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- First baseman Joe Yorke drove in three runs with his sixth career game of four or more hits while Aaron Casillas stretched his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI single and added a late safety squeeze bunt as Cal Poly defeated UC Riverside 9-8 in a Big West Conference baseball game Friday night before 1,698 inside Baggett Stadium.
Yorke's fourth career four-hit game -- to go along with a pair of five-hit contests in a four-game span a year ago -- included a double and three singles. He doubled in a run in the first inning, singled to drive in another run in the second frame and hit another RBI single in the fourth before capping his day with a single in the eighth which ultimately set up the safety squeeze bunt by Casillas.
In winning a series for the third time this season -- Cal Poly won the opener 13-2 on Thursday -- the Mustangs improved to 9-18 for the season and 5-6 in Big West games. UC Riverside fell to 6-20 and 0-8.
Cal Poly scored twice in the first inning and never looked back, though UC Riverside battled back to within a run at 2-1 in the second and 9-8 in the ninth, only to be turned away as Kyle Scott secured the final two outs for his third save.
Cal Poly, now 2-9 in games in which it scores first and 2-6 in one-run contests, is 8-12 in home games this season and needs to win eight of its remaining 11 Baggett Stadium contests to finish with a winning mark at home. The Mustangs have posted a losing record at 23-year-old Baggett Stadium only once, going 15-17 in 2010.
Sophomore right-hander Steven Brooks (2-1) went six-plus innings for the win Friday, allowing six runs and seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Derek True gave up two runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings before giving way to Scott in the ninth.
Trailing 7-4, UC Riverside scored twice in the seventh on a two-run single by Nick Poss. Cal Poly rebuilt the lead to 9-6 with a bases-loaded walk drawn by Wyatt King in the seventh and a safety squeeze bunt by Casillas in the eighth.
The Highlanders were not through just yet.
Mason Grace singled to open the ninth and, one out later, Poss doubled down the left-field line. An RBI single by Jacob Shanks made it 9-7 and Jayden Lopez singled to right to cut the deficit to 9-8. A wild pitch put Highlander runners at second and third with out one. With the Mustang infield in, Anthony Mata grounded to shortstop and Casillas' throw to the plate resulted in a rundown with Shanks tagged out halfway between third and home for the second out. Scott struck out Highlander clean-up hitter Dominic Martinez on three pitches to end the game.
Both teams collected 12 hits.
In addition to Yorke's four hits, Ryan Stafford and Taison Corio both produced a pair of hits for Cal Poly. Stafford doubled and singled, scoring three times, while Corio doubled leading off the second inning and hit a solo home run in the fifth, his second of the year, giving Cal Poly its 7-4 advantage.
UC Riverside's offense was paced by Poss, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, with a double and two singles. Shanks, Grace and Alfredo Capacete each had two hits and Mata knocked in three runs with a sacrifice fly and two-run double.
The loss was charged to Highlander junior right-hander Tucker Juline (1-3) as he allowed six runs and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Saturday's series finale begins at 1 o'clock as Cal Poly tries for the third time this season to produce a three-game winning streak.
The game will mark the collegiate debut of redshirt freshman southpaw Jakob Wright on the mound for Cal Poly. The Paso Robles High School graduate missed all of last season and the first seven weeks of 2023 due to injuries. UC Riverside will counter with junior right-hander Eric Marrujo (2-3, 7.67 ERA).
Yorke's fourth career four-hit game -- to go along with a pair of five-hit contests in a four-game span a year ago -- included a double and three singles. He doubled in a run in the first inning, singled to drive in another run in the second frame and hit another RBI single in the fourth before capping his day with a single in the eighth which ultimately set up the safety squeeze bunt by Casillas.
In winning a series for the third time this season -- Cal Poly won the opener 13-2 on Thursday -- the Mustangs improved to 9-18 for the season and 5-6 in Big West games. UC Riverside fell to 6-20 and 0-8.
Cal Poly scored twice in the first inning and never looked back, though UC Riverside battled back to within a run at 2-1 in the second and 9-8 in the ninth, only to be turned away as Kyle Scott secured the final two outs for his third save.
Cal Poly, now 2-9 in games in which it scores first and 2-6 in one-run contests, is 8-12 in home games this season and needs to win eight of its remaining 11 Baggett Stadium contests to finish with a winning mark at home. The Mustangs have posted a losing record at 23-year-old Baggett Stadium only once, going 15-17 in 2010.
Sophomore right-hander Steven Brooks (2-1) went six-plus innings for the win Friday, allowing six runs and seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Derek True gave up two runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings before giving way to Scott in the ninth.
Trailing 7-4, UC Riverside scored twice in the seventh on a two-run single by Nick Poss. Cal Poly rebuilt the lead to 9-6 with a bases-loaded walk drawn by Wyatt King in the seventh and a safety squeeze bunt by Casillas in the eighth.
The Highlanders were not through just yet.
Mason Grace singled to open the ninth and, one out later, Poss doubled down the left-field line. An RBI single by Jacob Shanks made it 9-7 and Jayden Lopez singled to right to cut the deficit to 9-8. A wild pitch put Highlander runners at second and third with out one. With the Mustang infield in, Anthony Mata grounded to shortstop and Casillas' throw to the plate resulted in a rundown with Shanks tagged out halfway between third and home for the second out. Scott struck out Highlander clean-up hitter Dominic Martinez on three pitches to end the game.
Both teams collected 12 hits.
In addition to Yorke's four hits, Ryan Stafford and Taison Corio both produced a pair of hits for Cal Poly. Stafford doubled and singled, scoring three times, while Corio doubled leading off the second inning and hit a solo home run in the fifth, his second of the year, giving Cal Poly its 7-4 advantage.
UC Riverside's offense was paced by Poss, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, with a double and two singles. Shanks, Grace and Alfredo Capacete each had two hits and Mata knocked in three runs with a sacrifice fly and two-run double.
The loss was charged to Highlander junior right-hander Tucker Juline (1-3) as he allowed six runs and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Saturday's series finale begins at 1 o'clock as Cal Poly tries for the third time this season to produce a three-game winning streak.
The game will mark the collegiate debut of redshirt freshman southpaw Jakob Wright on the mound for Cal Poly. The Paso Robles High School graduate missed all of last season and the first seven weeks of 2023 due to injuries. UC Riverside will counter with junior right-hander Eric Marrujo (2-3, 7.67 ERA).
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