Cal Poly win streak snapped at 10 games as Mustangs suffer first league loss
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - Cal Poly's 10-game winning streak featuring a pair of three-game Big West series sweeps, an 8-0 start to conference play, a .352 team batting average, 85 runs and 129 hits (including 51 for extra bases) came to an end Monday in an 8-2 loss to UC Davis at Baggett Stadium.
The loss dropped Coach Larry Lee's Mustangs to 14-8 for the season and 8-1 in the Big West, still ahead of UC San Diego (5-1) and four teams, including UC Davis, tied for third place at 5-4. Cal Poly still won the series against the Aggies, two games to one.
Nine of Cal Poly's 14 wins so far this season have been in come-from-behind fashion. On Monday, however, there were no answers as the Mustang bats were held to just two runs and five hits while UC Davis shattered a 2-2 tie with back-to-back three-run rallies in the seventh and eighth frames.
UC Davis, just 3-29 in games against Cal Poly at Baggett Stadium entering Monday's game, earned its first win over the Mustangs in San Luis Obispo since the 2018 season, snapping an eight-game losing streak. Aggie head coach Tommy Nicholson notched his first win over Cal Poly in nine tries at Baggett Stadium and is 3-12 overall versus the Mustangs.
The Aggie victory featured a 13-hit offensive attack and five pitchers who combined on the five-hitter. Peter Storjohann (2-0) secured two outs, both strikeouts, and was the pitcher of record when UC Davis erupted for three runs in the seventh on a safety squeeze bunt laid down by Zach Story and a two-run triple by Tyler Howard.
The Aggies (10-11) pulled away with three more runs in the eighth on Story's second safety squeeze bunt and a two-run double by Korey Williams.
Mustang starter Carson Turnquist did not allow a hit in 4 2/3 scoreless innings before giving up the first UC Davis hit and single runs in both the fifth and sixth frames. Lefty Josh Morano (3-1) suffered the loss as he allowed the tiebreaking run in the seventh.
Cal Poly scored first on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Ryan Tayman in the opening frame. After UC Davis scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, the Mustangs knotted the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth on Dante Vachini's sacrifice fly, also with the bases loaded.
Both Casey Murray Jr. and Cam Hoiland extended their hitting streaks in the sixth. Murray singled to stretch his streak to 12 games while Hoiland doubled to increase his streak to 10 contests.
For the series, second baseman Alejandro Garza was 8-for-12 at the plate with four RBIs while Hoiland was 6-for-12, Murray 5-for-12 with four RBIs and third baseman Gavin Spiridonoff 5-for-13.
Center fielder and Santa Barbara High School alum Kai Mault led the Aggies at the plate with a single, double and triple. Right fielder Tyler Howard contributed a double and triple for two RBIs while Story and Williams both had two hits and a pair of RBIs as well.
Cal Poly ended a seven-game home stand with the loss and will hit the road for its next five contests. The Mustangs visit Loyola Marymount on Wednesday night and play a three-game Big West series Friday through Sunday at UC Riverside.
(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)
