Sunday, March 17
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
1 P.M.
10-9, 2-1
8
vs
10
CSUN
10-9, 1-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
CSUN
0
0
1
0
0
3
0
0
6
10
10
0
Cal Poly
1
0
1
4
0
0
1
0
1
8
9
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Romero, Joshua (5-1)
L: Sagouspe, Tanner (3-1)
Batting:
HR: Gauna, Andrew 1
RBI: Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Simons, Jakob 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 2 ; Griffin, Ben 3 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1
SF: Linberg, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sakaino, Shunsuke 1 ; Neighbors, Kamau 2 ; Simons, Jakob 2 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1 ; Griffin, Ben 1 ; Linberg, Will 1 ; Gauna, Andrew 1 ; Sanderson, Jarren 1
HBP: Fitzer, Kevin 1
Batting:
2B: Fenn, Ryan 2 ; Yorke, Joe 2
HR: Cloyd, Evan 1
RBI: Steels, Jake 1 ; Stafford, Ryan 1 ; Fenn, Ryan 1 ; Yorke, Joe 2 ; Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Casillas, Aaron 1 ; Cloyd, Evan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stafford, Ryan 1 ; Fenn, Ryan 2 ; Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Murray Jr., Casey 1 ; Casillas, Aaron 1 ; Cloyd, Evan 2
HBP: Steels, Jake 1 ; Fenn, Ryan 1 ; Cloyd, Evan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Mustangs Fall to CSUN’s Ninth Inning Comeback in Series Finale
3/17/2024 4:38:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After starting the first conference series of 2024 with a 2-0 record to seal a series victory against CSUN, the Cal Poly Mustangs baseball program battled hard on Sunday but fell to a gritty 6-run Matador comeback in the ninth inning.
Cal Poly (10-9) moves to 2-1 in the Big West after the narrow 10-8 loss on Sunday but will surely be happy to defend Baggett Stadium with a second straight series win.
Griffin Naess made his presence known to CSUN with a pair of strikeouts to open and close the top of the first inning. Naess last started against Ohio State just six days earlier, notching his second win while allowing just three hits in five shutout innings.
Ryan Stafford walked in the bottom of the first's second at-bat, but it wasn't until the final batter of the inning, Joe Yorke, hit a perfect double down the right field line. The big man tried to stretch the hit into his first career triple, but a solid relay by CSUN took the opportunity away.
A second straight three-up, three-down inning by Naess using just six total pitches kept CSUN from getting any chances whatsoever through two innings. The Matadors matched the pitching effort in the bottom of the inning, which left Cal Poly at 1-0 after two.
The first pitch of the third inning yielded a solo home run shot to left center that bounced off the top of the wall before falling in CSUN's favor, tying the game 1-1. After two more Matadors got on base, a mound meeting settled Naess to end the inning.
Cal Poly's leadoff batter in the third inning, Evan Cloyd expertly played the role of DH, crushing his first home run of the year to that sweet spot in left-center, putting Cal Poly up again, 2-1.
With back-to-back K's in the top of the fourth, Naess brought his total to 5 on the day and seemed to have his footing back as the Matadors were served a goose egg with Cal Poly retaining the lead.
A bundle of walks by the CSUN starter and his eventual reliever allowed Aaron Casillas to knock in a run before the Matador reliever walked the inning's second run in. Four straight balls walked yet another run in, putting Cal Poly up 5-1. Stafford took a 0-2 pitch to the foot, allowing a sixth run.
Naess' day came to an end after the true freshman pitched another fantastic outing, allowing 3 hits or less in all five of his appearances. Ryan Baum came on for the second straight day and third time this week in relief.
The Matadors kept working on the runners that Naess left on base, and back-to-back RBI singles cut the Mustang lead down to 6-3. CSUN had runners on the corners at that point. Sac fly to deep left center added another run, bringing the score even closer at 6-4.
Ryan Fenn extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a solid stand-up double off the left-field wall to start the bottom of the seventh. Alejandro Garza wasted no time picking up an RBI single to bring Fenn around and lengthen the gap to 7-4.
Jake Torres relieved a solid effort from Baum, who finished two full innings while allowing two hits and one run. Torres promptly threw a pair of K's to send CSUN to the ninth down three runs.
In the top of the ninth, Tanner Sagouspe came in before CSUN strung together some well-hit singles to find two desperation runs before the bases were suddenly loaded after a walk. The second straight walk brought a run in to tie the game and force the bottom of the ninth after a blown save.
CSUN got its first lead of the entire series when Sagouspe plunked the next Matador batter, up 8-7 over Cal Poly. Two more runs would end up crossing the plate with continued hitting, upping the CSUN lead to 10-7.
Ryan Fenn tallied his fourth straight multi-hit game to double before Yorke hit the same exact ball, batting Fenn in and starting the rally at 10-8. A double-play ground ball from Kordic advanced pinch runner Tate Shimao to third, but it was not enough as CSUN closed the door for the win.
For the first time in over two weeks, the Mustangs will not play a midweek game as they prepare to host #25 UC Santa Barbara next weekend. The first pitch of the three-game conference series is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 22.
Cal Poly (10-9) moves to 2-1 in the Big West after the narrow 10-8 loss on Sunday but will surely be happy to defend Baggett Stadium with a second straight series win.
Griffin Naess made his presence known to CSUN with a pair of strikeouts to open and close the top of the first inning. Naess last started against Ohio State just six days earlier, notching his second win while allowing just three hits in five shutout innings.
Ryan Stafford walked in the bottom of the first's second at-bat, but it wasn't until the final batter of the inning, Joe Yorke, hit a perfect double down the right field line. The big man tried to stretch the hit into his first career triple, but a solid relay by CSUN took the opportunity away.
A second straight three-up, three-down inning by Naess using just six total pitches kept CSUN from getting any chances whatsoever through two innings. The Matadors matched the pitching effort in the bottom of the inning, which left Cal Poly at 1-0 after two.
The first pitch of the third inning yielded a solo home run shot to left center that bounced off the top of the wall before falling in CSUN's favor, tying the game 1-1. After two more Matadors got on base, a mound meeting settled Naess to end the inning.
Cal Poly's leadoff batter in the third inning, Evan Cloyd expertly played the role of DH, crushing his first home run of the year to that sweet spot in left-center, putting Cal Poly up again, 2-1.
With back-to-back K's in the top of the fourth, Naess brought his total to 5 on the day and seemed to have his footing back as the Matadors were served a goose egg with Cal Poly retaining the lead.
A bundle of walks by the CSUN starter and his eventual reliever allowed Aaron Casillas to knock in a run before the Matador reliever walked the inning's second run in. Four straight balls walked yet another run in, putting Cal Poly up 5-1. Stafford took a 0-2 pitch to the foot, allowing a sixth run.
Naess' day came to an end after the true freshman pitched another fantastic outing, allowing 3 hits or less in all five of his appearances. Ryan Baum came on for the second straight day and third time this week in relief.
The Matadors kept working on the runners that Naess left on base, and back-to-back RBI singles cut the Mustang lead down to 6-3. CSUN had runners on the corners at that point. Sac fly to deep left center added another run, bringing the score even closer at 6-4.
Ryan Fenn extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a solid stand-up double off the left-field wall to start the bottom of the seventh. Alejandro Garza wasted no time picking up an RBI single to bring Fenn around and lengthen the gap to 7-4.
Jake Torres relieved a solid effort from Baum, who finished two full innings while allowing two hits and one run. Torres promptly threw a pair of K's to send CSUN to the ninth down three runs.
In the top of the ninth, Tanner Sagouspe came in before CSUN strung together some well-hit singles to find two desperation runs before the bases were suddenly loaded after a walk. The second straight walk brought a run in to tie the game and force the bottom of the ninth after a blown save.
CSUN got its first lead of the entire series when Sagouspe plunked the next Matador batter, up 8-7 over Cal Poly. Two more runs would end up crossing the plate with continued hitting, upping the CSUN lead to 10-7.
Ryan Fenn tallied his fourth straight multi-hit game to double before Yorke hit the same exact ball, batting Fenn in and starting the rally at 10-8. A double-play ground ball from Kordic advanced pinch runner Tate Shimao to third, but it was not enough as CSUN closed the door for the win.
For the first time in over two weeks, the Mustangs will not play a midweek game as they prepare to host #25 UC Santa Barbara next weekend. The first pitch of the three-game conference series is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 22.
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