Cal Poly stuns #6 Oregon State with walk-off HR to complete 4-run rally

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Twenty-one hours ago, a ninth-inning two-run home run by Jack Collins was erased by an Oregon State pitch clock violation.

Saturday afternoon at Baggett Stadium, with Cal Poly trailing 6-5, Collins hit another two-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning. This one counted.

Collins' sixth home run of the season lifted Cal Poly to a 7-6 walk-off victory over the No. 6-ranked Beavers and snapped Oregon State's 11-game winning streak.

"Fastball, middle up," Collins said about the pitch he sent over the left-field wall on the first pitch he saw from Wyatt Queen.

"I tried not to think about what happened Friday night or affect me too much," Collins added. "I was walking up to the plate knowing that I could do it again."

"Confidence," the sophomore catcher and transfer from Long Beach State explained.

Trailing 6-3 heading to the bottom of the ninth, Cal Poly parlayed four hits and a sacrifice fly into the game-winning four-run rally.

Pinch-hitter Cam Hoiland's double caromed off the top of the wall in right-center field and first baseman Zach Daudet singled to right-center field to score Hoiland.

Left fielder Dante Vachini singled through the right side of the Oregon State infield, Daudet advancing to third base. A sacrifice fly to center field by Ryan Fenn scored Daudet, trimming the Beavers' lead to 6-5.

One out later, Collins sent most of the 2,471 fans in attendance home happy with his towering 359-foot shot onto the Baggett Stadium parking lot beyond the left field wall. The exit speed was 95 mph.

The win lifted Cal Poly's record to 14-7 while Oregon State fell to 17-4.

It was Collins who sparked Cal Poly's three-run ninth-inning rally at then No. 1-ranked Texas A&M four weeks ago with a two-run home run and he homered twice in the Mustangs' sweep of Cal State Fullerton two weeks ago.

Cal Poly outhit Oregon State 13-10, paced by Fenn with two doubles and a single. Collins and third baseman Alejandro Garza each added a pair of hits. First baseman Jacob Krieg singled twice and homered once for the Beavers while Arquette and right fielder Easton Tait both hit solo home runs.

The win went to Caden Pearlman (1-0), who pitched the ninth inning for Cal Poly. Queen (1-1) suffered the loss, securing the first two outs of the ninth before surrendering the home run to Collins.

Neither starter went five innings. Oregon State freshman right-hander Dax Whitney allowed three runs and six hits over four innings with four strikeouts while Mustang sophomore lefty Josh Volmerding also went four innings, giving up four runs (three earned) and five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning, Cal Poly tying the game with a double steal. The Mustangs added single runs in the second and third frames for a 3-1 advantage. Right fielder Dylan Kordic led off the second with his fourth home run of the season and Collins singled to left field to knock in the run in the third.

Oregon State tallied three runs in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Krieg singled to drive in two runs and shortstop Aiva Arquette was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to snap a 3-3 tie. The Beavers added single runs in the eighth and ninth innings for a 6-3 cushion, setting the stage for the Mustangs' last-inning heroics.

Cal Poly now has two walk-off wins this season. Dylan Knowles' bloop single to center field scored the winning run in the Mustangs' Big West-opening series against Cal State Fullerton on March 7.

Cal Poly has produced double-digit hits in 11 of its last 14 games, lifting its team batting average from .195 to .294. The Mustangs have won 13 of their last 15 games after a 1-5 start.

The rubber game of the series -- Oregon State won Friday's opener 4-1 -- will be played Sunday at 12:35 p.m. with sophomore right-hander Ethan Marmie on the mound for Cal Poly.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)