Mustangs force a winner-take-all game at Big West Championship with rout of Irvine

FULLERTON, Calif. - No. 2 seed Cal Poly defeated No. 1 seed UC Irvine by a final score of 15-5 in eight innings on the fourth day of the 2025 Big West Baseball Championship, presented by Ontario International Airport, Saturday at Goodwin Field, to force a decisive winner-take-all game between the two teams on Sunday. First pitch for the Big West title is slated for 3 p.m. PT.

The Mustangs improve to 40-17 on the season, while UCI drops to 41-14.

The Anteaters drew first blood, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second, thanks to RBIs from Blake Penso, Frankie Carney and Will Bermudez.

The Mustangs responded with four runs in the next half inning. Zach Daudet and Alejandro Garza drove in one run each, while Ryan Fenn plated two. Cal Poly increased its lead to 8-3 with another four-run inning in the fourth with Dante Vachini, Daudet, Fenn and Garza each recording one RBI in the frame.

UC Irvine got one run apiece in the fourth and fifth innings to make it an 8-5 ballgame. Anthony Martinez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth and Penso blasted an RBI single up the middle in the fifth.

Cal Poly secured another four-run inning in the sixth frame as Garza and Castellon each brought one runner home and Casey Murray Jr. plated two. The Mustangs scored three more in the eighth on a Kordic RBI fielder's choice and a Jack Collins 2-run homer.

With a 10-run difference, Cal Poly run-ruled the Anteaters with a zero spot in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Cal Poly starter Jaccob Torres, who got the final two outs in the first game of the day, went 1.2 innings and gave up three runs, while recording a strikeout. Reliever Chris Downs cleaned up the rest of the way with 6.1 innings of work, giving up two runs and striking out three batters.

(Article courtesy of Big West)