Cal Poly hammers Santa Clara with offensive explosion

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Mark Armstrong made the most of his first start this season, driving in four runs with a single, double and walk, while freshman southpaw Noah Larkin allowed just one run and three hits over five innings for his first collegiate win as Cal Poly defeated Santa Clara 15-6 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night inside Baggett Stadium.

Armstrong doubled to drive in two runs in the first inning, drew a bases-loaded walk for another RBI in the fifth and singled for his fourth RBI in the sixth as the Mustangs scored 15 times in the middle innings to win going away.

Larkin (1-1), a graduate of Burlingame High School, struck out three and walked only one. He faced just two batters over the minimum in the first four innings before surrendering a double and triple for a run in the top of the fifth. Larkin threw 62 pitches.

With seven wins in its last eight games, Cal Poly improved to 14-10 overall, the first time the Mustangs have been four games above the .500 mark this season. Santa Clara fell to 15-9.

Cal Poly's 13-hit offensive attack was paced by shortstop Brooks Lee's fourth three-hit game of the season. All three hits were singles and he knocked in one run and scored twice. Lee extended his hitting streak to 13 games with his fifth-inning single.

Armstrong, Ryan Stafford and Collin Villegas each added a pair of hits and John Lagattuta contributed a two-run double for the Mustangs. Villegas, Nick Marinconz and Tate Samuelson all drove in two runs each.

Cal Poly scored four times in the fourth inning for a 4-0 lead, sparked by Armstrong's two-run double to right-center field, added three more in the fifth, two on bases-loaded walks, for a 7-1 advantage and sent 13 batters to the plate in an eight-run sixth-inning rally highlighted by two-run doubles by Villegas and Lagattuta.

Santa Clara collected eight hits, including a single and double by John Hanley for two RBIs.

Travis Weston, Kaden Sheedy, Evan Tomlinson and Derek True each pitched an inning in relief for Cal Poly.

The loss went to Santa Clara starter Blake Hammond (0-1). After retiring the first 11 Mustang batters of the game, Hammond gave up four runs in the fourth inning, all with two outs.

Cal Poly continues its slate of six consecutive non-conference games with a four-game series against Dixie State (13-10) this weekend. Games at Baggett Stadium start at 6 p.m. Friday followed by a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a noon finale Sunday.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).