Cal Poly powers past Santa Clara with 3 more home runs
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Cal Poly Mustangs (21-14, 11-4) flexed their muscles for the second game in a row, beating Santa Clara (18-16, 6-6 WCC) by a 9-3 margin with the help of three home runs for a total of seven over the last two days.
The two foes played true to the antics of a midweek affair, combining to use 16 pitchers and 30 field players total. Six different Mustangs collected RBIs on the day with Dylan Kordic (3) leading the pack.
Continuing from yesterday's flurry of moonshots, Jake Steels led off Cal Poly's first inning with a solo home run crushed high over the center field numbers. Up to this point of the season, the Mustangs have been very successful when scoring in the first inning, which remained true during this game.
Building on the initial lead, Ryan Stafford singled, stole second base, and advanced to third over the next two at-bats, finally making his way across home plate with Alejandro Garza reaching second from a throwing error to first.
Kordic also got on the board, knocking a stand up RBI-double to deep left center that scored Garza and increased Cal Poly's lead to 3-0. Aaron Casillas hit nearly the same exact spot with an RBI-single in the next at-bat. Cal Poly finally yielded the first inning with a 4-0 lead.
Santa Clara managed to pull a run back by scattering hits throughout the 3rd inning, eventually scoring one runner on an RBI-single with two outs. First-time Mustang starter Charlie Royle did enough to limit the damage and hold the Broncos at just one run to keep a 4-1 Cal Poly lead.
Responding well to Santa Clara's own answer, Kordic lit up the Broncos yet again in the 3rd inning. Kordic sent his first career homer as a Mustang over the left field wall, increasing his total RBIs on the day to three for a 6-1 Cal Poly lead.
After Royle's three inning start, the Mustangs were gifted solid bullpen pitching on a staff day. Christopher Downs was awarded the win as he, Ethan Marmie, and Josh Volmerding each pitched one scoreless and hitless inning through the middle of the outing. Noah Larkin, Reece Bueno, Caden Pearlman, and Paul Montgomery all combined to allow just four hits the rest of the night.
Zach Daudet kickstarted another scoring run in the bottom of the sixth, collecting both his first base hit and solo home run as a Mustang by sending a ball way past the far left field numbers.
Stafford nearly sent a ball out of the park but it fell to the warning track, holding him to a triple while batting in Steels from first. Ryan Fenn followed that up by also sending Stafford home with an RBI-single, taking the Mustangs to a 9-1 lead over Santa Clara.
Despite some desperation runs scored via wild pitches late into the 9th inning, Cal Poly easily sealed a big non-conference victory to start another win streak.
With that, the Mustangs head off the mainland to face Big West foe Hawai'i on the road. That series is set for 9:35 p.m. PT on both Friday and Saturday, while Sunday's game will take place at 4:05 p.m. PT.
(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)
