Cal Poly splits doubleheader with Missouri to start 2024

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Cal Poly baseball split its two-game doubleheader with Missouri to open the 2024 season Friday. The Mustangs won the first game 3-2 before falling in the nightcap 3-1.

Game 1 recap:
Jakob Wright and Tanner Sagouspe combined for eight strikeouts and allowed just two runs while Dylan Kordic drove in a pair of runs as Cal Poly defeated Missouri 3-2 in the baseball season opener for both teams Friday afternoon inside Baggett Stadium.Alejandro Garza Swing vs Missouri 2/16/24

Wright (1-0) struck out five over 6 2/3 innings, throwing 99 pitches, and Sagouspe earned his first save with three strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings.

Kordic gave Cal Poly a 1-0 lead with an RBI double moments after Tate Shimao's triple in the second inning and snapped a 1-1 tie with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

An RBI single by Jake Steels gave Cal Poly a 3-1 lead in the fifth and the Mustangs were able to hold the visiting Tigers to just one run the rest of the way.

For Larry Lee, it was his 14th win in 22 season openers as head coach of the Mustangs.

Steels and Shimao each had two of Cal Poly's seven hits. First baseman Jackson Lovich and left fielder Tucker Moore had two hits apiece for Missouri, which outhit Cal Poly 8-7.

Game 2 recap:
Junior pitcher Steven Brooks had a career outing, tossing seven innings while striking out a career-high 12 while giving up just three hits and two runs. However, the Mustangs fell to Missouri in the second game of the doubleheader, 3-1.

Aaron Casillas throw vs Missouri 2/16/24It was a pitcher's duel in the early goings as the two teams combined for one hit through the first four innings. In the top of the fifth, Missouri designated hitter Thomas Curry hit a two-run home run to put the Tigers on the board first 2-0. Cal Poly's first hit came in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of designated hitter Evan Cloyd's single.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Mustangs got runners on second and third with one out in the that eventually led to freshman second baseman Alejandro Garza driving in the Mustangs' first run of the game on a sac fly that brought in Joe Yorke.

Missouri got an insurance run in the top of the ninth with a two out RBI double. In the bottom of the ninth, In the bottom of Stafford got aboard via a Missouri error to lead off the inning. After Evan Cloyd was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs, Garza came to the plate as the winning run but struck out swinging.

Cal Poly will face Missouri in game three of the series Saturday morning at 9 a.m. from Baggett Stadium.
(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)