Friday, May 2
Bakersfield, CA
6:30 PM
29-15, 16-6
4
at
1
Cal State Bakersfield
17-30, 8-14
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Cal Poly
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
4
9
1
Cal St. Bakersfield
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
5
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Naess, Griffin (4-2)
L: Jackson, Dante (2-4)
S: Torres, Jake (2)
Batting:
2B: Daudet, Zach 1
3B: Fenn, Ryan 1
RBI: Fenn, Ryan 2 ; Garza, Alejandro 1 ; Murray Jr., Casey 1
SH: Kordic, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fenn, Ryan 1 ; Castellon, Nate 1 ; Murray Jr., Casey 1 ; Downing, Jake 1
SB: Murray Jr., Casey 1 ; Downing, Jake 1
HBP: Downing, Jake 1
Batting:
RBI: Hendriks, Cody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pelayo, Elijah 1
SB: Barnum V, Lewis 1
CS: Cloyd, Evan 1 ; Pollard, Michael 1
HBP: Cloyd, Evan 2 ; Barnum V, Lewis 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Mustangs Outlast Roadrunners in Series-Opening Pitcher's Duel
5/2/2025 11:45:00 PM | Baseball
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Held scoreless through eight innings, Cal Poly erupted for four runs in the ninth frame to earn its 15th come-from-behind win of the season, overcoming a 1-0 deficit for a 4-1 decision over Cal State Bakersfield on Friday night at Hardt Field.
Nate Castellon opened the ninth with his third single of the game, took second on Dylan Kordic's groundout, and Casey Murray Jr. singled through the hole on the right side of the Roadrunner infield to tie the game at 1-1.
Pinch hitter Jake Downing was hit by a pitch and Ryan Fenn tripled to right-center field to score both runners for a 3-1 Mustang lead. Alejandro Garza added an insurance run with an RBI single to right field.
After eight innings of one-run, five-hit baseball, Griffin Naess (4-2) turned things over to Jake Torres, who earned his second save, though Cal State Bakersfield managed to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth after a pair of two-out walks. A popup to Zach Daudet at first base ended the game.
With the win, Cal Poly improved to 29-15 overall and 16-6 for second place in the Big West. UC Irvine's lead over the Mustangs was trimmed to three games as UC San Diego posted a 19-4 triumph at Cicerone Field.
Cal Poly 23rd-year head coach Larry Lee earned his 699th victory and will go for No. 700 Saturday night with sophomore southpaw Josh Volmerding (4-3, 5.15 ERA) to face Cal State Bakersfield sophomore right-hander Shane McAlinden (1-5, 4.50 ERA).
On Friday night, Cal Poly was shut out on five hits in the first eight innings as Ryan King (five hits, three strikeouts in seven innings) and Dante Jackson (who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth frame) allowed none of the five Mustang baserunners in scoring position to reach home plate.
Naess retired the side in order three times and received some defensive help from right fielder Dylan Kordic in the eighth frame. Brock Pereira singled with two outs but took a wide turn at first base and Kordic's throw to first base ended the frame, his team-leading fourth outfield assist of the year.
Another pair of Roadrunner rallies were snuffed out by Mustang catcher Jack Collins as the junior backstop threw out Evan Cloyd (first inning) and Michael Pollard (sixth inning) trying to steal second base. Collins has caught 14 would-be base stealers this season, second in the Big West.
Naess finished with one walk and one strikeout, scattering five hits over eight innings. The lone run he allowed came courtesy of two singles sandwiched around a wild pitch in the seventh inning.
Jackson (2-4) suffered the loss as he gave up the first two runs in the ninth.
Castellon's three singles gave him seven three-hit games this season. The freshman shortstop is 11-for-23 (.478) in his last seven games with nine RBIs, lifting his average for the season to .342.
Garza and Fenn each added two hits for the Mustangs. Garza has a team-leading 25 multiple-hit games this season and has hit safely in 23 of his last 24 games, hitting .388 (45-for-116) during the run. Fenn has 16 multiple-hit games and is 10-for-24 (.417) with four RBIs in his last six games.
Pereira singled twice for Cal State Bakersfield, which has lost seven of its last nine games.
Nate Castellon opened the ninth with his third single of the game, took second on Dylan Kordic's groundout, and Casey Murray Jr. singled through the hole on the right side of the Roadrunner infield to tie the game at 1-1.
Pinch hitter Jake Downing was hit by a pitch and Ryan Fenn tripled to right-center field to score both runners for a 3-1 Mustang lead. Alejandro Garza added an insurance run with an RBI single to right field.
After eight innings of one-run, five-hit baseball, Griffin Naess (4-2) turned things over to Jake Torres, who earned his second save, though Cal State Bakersfield managed to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth after a pair of two-out walks. A popup to Zach Daudet at first base ended the game.
With the win, Cal Poly improved to 29-15 overall and 16-6 for second place in the Big West. UC Irvine's lead over the Mustangs was trimmed to three games as UC San Diego posted a 19-4 triumph at Cicerone Field.
Cal Poly 23rd-year head coach Larry Lee earned his 699th victory and will go for No. 700 Saturday night with sophomore southpaw Josh Volmerding (4-3, 5.15 ERA) to face Cal State Bakersfield sophomore right-hander Shane McAlinden (1-5, 4.50 ERA).
On Friday night, Cal Poly was shut out on five hits in the first eight innings as Ryan King (five hits, three strikeouts in seven innings) and Dante Jackson (who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth frame) allowed none of the five Mustang baserunners in scoring position to reach home plate.
Naess retired the side in order three times and received some defensive help from right fielder Dylan Kordic in the eighth frame. Brock Pereira singled with two outs but took a wide turn at first base and Kordic's throw to first base ended the frame, his team-leading fourth outfield assist of the year.
Another pair of Roadrunner rallies were snuffed out by Mustang catcher Jack Collins as the junior backstop threw out Evan Cloyd (first inning) and Michael Pollard (sixth inning) trying to steal second base. Collins has caught 14 would-be base stealers this season, second in the Big West.
Naess finished with one walk and one strikeout, scattering five hits over eight innings. The lone run he allowed came courtesy of two singles sandwiched around a wild pitch in the seventh inning.
Jackson (2-4) suffered the loss as he gave up the first two runs in the ninth.
Castellon's three singles gave him seven three-hit games this season. The freshman shortstop is 11-for-23 (.478) in his last seven games with nine RBIs, lifting his average for the season to .342.
Garza and Fenn each added two hits for the Mustangs. Garza has a team-leading 25 multiple-hit games this season and has hit safely in 23 of his last 24 games, hitting .388 (45-for-116) during the run. Fenn has 16 multiple-hit games and is 10-for-24 (.417) with four RBIs in his last six games.
Pereira singled twice for Cal State Bakersfield, which has lost seven of its last nine games.
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