Cal Poly uses the long ball and some Irvine miscues to win series

IRVINE, Calif. (KEYT) - Tied 6-6 in the ninth inning, Cal Poly took advantage of three UC Irvine errors for a pair of unearned runs and defeated the Anteaters 8-6 in the rubber game of their Big West baseball series Sunday afternoon on Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark.

The three miscues all occurred in the infield and allowed pinch runner Antonio Castro and left fielder Dante Vachini to score the go-ahead runs for the Mustangs, who maintained their one-game lead over UC Santa Barbara in the conference standings.

The win, head coach Larry Lee's 1,200th in 40 seasons of coaching, 740 victories in 24 years at Cal Poly and 460 in 16 campaigns at nearby Cuesta College, elevated the Mustangs' overall mark to 27-19, the first time Cal Poly has been eight games above the .500 mark this season.

The Mustangs are 17-7 in Big West games, one game ahead of UC Santa Barbara (16-8), a 19-9 winner at Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday for a series sweep. UC San Diego (14-10) remains in third place after the Tritons were swept at Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton, swept at home by UC Davis, fell into fourth place at 13-11. Hawai'i (12-11) could move into a tie with the Titans with a win over UC Riverside as the Rainbow Warriors moved into the final qualifying spot for the May 20-24 Big West Tournament.

Cal Poly bounced back from an 11-4 loss Friday with 11-2 and 8-6 triumphs to claim its seventh Big West series in eight tries this season.

"My message after Friday’s loss was it is just one game," said Lee. "Learn from what you did and what you didn’t do well. Win on Saturday and your odds are in your favor for Sunday."

Cal Poly jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a three-run home run to right field by Vachini, his second of the year. The advantage was short-lived, however, as designated hitter Rowan Felsch duplicated Vachini's feat in the bottom of the second. It was Felsch, a .148 hitter entering the series, who also homered to drive in three runs and shatter a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning Friday night.

Right fielder Dylan Kordic smashed his seventh home run of the year, a solo blast to left-center field, in the third for a 4-3 Mustang lead. All seven home runs by Kordic have come in the last six weeks.

UC Irvine took its first lead with two runs in the fourth on a Cal Poly throwing error and a sacrifice fly before the Mustangs tied the game up at 5-5 in the sixth. Catcher Ryan Tayman was hit by a pitch with one out and scored on Casey Murray Jr.'s RBI double to right-center field.

Both teams scored a run in the seventh to keep the game tied at 6-6. Shortstop Nate Castellon belted his fifth home run of the year down the left-field line in the top of the frame while UC Irvine scored on a walk, sacrifice bunt and two singles, Efren Ortega collecting the RBI.

In the Mustang ninth, designated hitter Cam Hoiland reached on a throwing error with one out. Vachini singled to right field and first baseman Gavin Spiridonoff loaded the bases as his grounder to second base was mishandled for another Anteater error.

Castellon's grounder to third was misplayed for the third UC Irvine error of the inning, allowing Castro to score. Third baseman Alejandro Garza's sacrifice fly to left field scored Vachini for an 8-6 Mustang lead.

UC Irvine entered the series No. 1 in the Big West in fielding, averaging just 0.8 errors per contest.

"As for in-game action, we try to take the emotion out of the equation when things are not going well," said Lee. "We try to deal in reality. It doesn’t matter how you got there. After each inning, it becomes so many innings to play and you are up, even, or down in the scoring column."

Senior closer Nick Bonn (1-4) earned his first win of 2026 by scattering four hits over three scoreless innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Starter Corden Pettey tossed the first 3 2/3 innings for Cal Poly and Brady Estes allowed just one run and two hits over 2 1/3 frames.

The loss was charged to Anteater reliever Danny Suarez (2-2), who gave up three runs in 2 2/3 innings. Starter Hunter Manning allowed four runs over 2 2/3 frames and Ricky Ojeda was charged with a run in 3 2/3 innings.

Cal Poly's nine hits included two each by Vachini and Murray. UC Irvine outhit the Mustangs 12-9, paced by first baseman Alonso Reyes with three singles and Ortega, Felsch and Lucas Schermer, each with a pair of hits.

Tayman threw out his 13th would-be base stealer in the first inning for Cal Poly.

Murray was 6-for-11 in the series while Castellon was 6-for-14 with three RBIs and Tayman 5-for-11. Kordic knocked in six runs in a 4-for-12 series with two doubles and a pair of home runs.

Cal Poly visits Santa Clara on Tuesday before returning to Orange County next weekend for a three-game Big West set at Cal State Fullerton.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).