Mustangs Rally from Early Deficit to Take Series Opener Over CSUN

Friday, April 24

San Luis Obispo, CA

6:05 PM

22-18, 13-6

CSUN

22-18, 11-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
CSUN	0	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	5	9	0
Cal Poly	1	2	1	0	0	2	2	0	X	8	15	1

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Mustangs Rally from Early Deficit to Take Series Opener Over CSUN

4/24/2026 11:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- First baseman Gavin Spiridonoff collected three hits for the second time in his Mustang career and knocked in three runs while Brady Estes allowed just one run and two hits over 3 2/3 innings in relief as Cal Poly maintained its share of first place in the Big West with an 8-5 victory over CSUN on Friday night.

Spiridonoff and Estes, both freshmen, led a Mustang comeback from an early 2-1 deficit and Cal Poly snapped a 4-4 tie with two runs in both the sixth and seventh frames at Baggett Stadium to keep pace with UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego on top of the conference standings.

The win by Cal Poly left both the Mustangs and Matadors with 22-18 overall records. The Mustangs, Gauchos and Tritons all sport 13-6 Big West marks for a three-way tie while the Matadors dropped to 11-11 in conference games, remaining in fifth place. Cal State Fullerton is fourth at 11-8.

Estes (4-1) walked one and struck out four for the win in relief of Cal Poly starter Griffin Naess, who went 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs and seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He left the game with the score tied at 4-4.

The loss was charged to CSUN right-hander Adam Christopher (3-3) as he allowed the go-ahead run to score in the sixth inning. In relief of starter Gabriel Hernandez, Alexander pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and five hits.

Cal Poly scored first on an RBI single by Ryan Tayman through the left side of the CSUN infield in the first inning.

After Matthew Pena smashed a two-run home run, his 14th of the year, in the top of the second inning for the Matadors, Cal Poly quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the second on a run-scoring single to right field off the bat of Spiridonoff and an RBI groundout by Alejandro Garza.

CSUN tied the game at 3-3 in the third on a wild pitch and Cal Poly established a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third on Dylan Kordic's RBI double to right field. The game was tied again at 4-4 on Matthew Cormier's fourth homer of the season, a leadoff solo blast to left-center field in the fourth inning.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Spiridonoff's triple landed behind Matador center fielder Vaughn Coleman, giving Cal Poly a 5-4 lead. Nate Castellon followed with a run-scoring single to shallow right field.

The Mustangs added two more runs in the seventh for an 8-4 cushion on RBI infield singles by Jake Downing and Spiridonoff. CSUN capped the scoring in the ninth on a run-scoring double by pinch hitter Mateo Rickman.

Spiridonoff is 12-for-20 (.600) in his last six games at the plate, lifting his batting average 73 points to .326. Castellon now has 16 multiple-hit games this season after his eighth game of three or more hits.

Downing, a .150 hitter in late March, had a single and double Friday and, in his last five games, has produced 12 hits in 23 at-bats (.522) to hike his average 56 points to .272.

Kordic also contributed a single and double and is 11-for-24 (.458) with four home runs and 11 RBIs over his last seven games. The .167 hitter in late March is now batting .280.

Tayman also had two hits as Cal Poly produced double-digit hits for the eighth consecutive game.

Pena and Will Linberg each had two hits for CSUN.

UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Fullerton 8-3 while UC San Diego rallied from an 8-2 deficit to edge UC Irvine 11-10 as the Titans and Tritons kept pace with Cal Poly atop the Big West standings.

Second game of the series will be played Saturday afternoon with Cal Poly redshirt junior right-hander Carson Turnquist (3-2, 3.76 ERA) facing off against Matador freshman righty Charles Rogers (0-1, 7.27 ERA).

The game is set for a 3:05 p.m. start, but an incoming storm front could move the first pitch to an earlier time. Go to GoPoly.com or the baseball team's Twitter account at x.com/calpolybsb for any updates.

Sunday's series finale is set for 1:05 p.m.