4th straight loss for Cal Poly baseball as they lose 12-2 to Utah
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - In a series opener that was originally scheduled to be played Friday but was pushed back a day due to rain, Cal Poly baseball fell to Utah 12-2 Saturday at Baggett Stadium.
The Mustangs (2-6) were able to stay within striking distance of the Utes — who improved to 8-1 on the season with the win — over the first five innings, but Utah scattered seven runs across the sixth, seventh and eighth inning to pull away in a game that lasted over three and a half hours.
Utah got off to a quick start to open the game by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, but Cal Poly responded right away in the bottom of the inning. Senior Aaron Casillas lined a ball just over the head of the Utah shortstop to score Jake Steels on an RBI single and cut the Utes' lead in half.
The next two innings, the starting pitchers took control on the mound as both teams were held scoreless. During that two-inning span, redshirt sophomore left-hander Jakob Wright tossed four strikeouts.
The Mustangs did have a chance to score in the top of the second as junior Dylan Kordic led off the inning with a single and junior Casey Murray Jr. doubled to centerfield to put runners on second and third base with no outs. However, Cal Poly was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Utes added a trio of runs on a pair of hits and three Cal Poly errors.
After junior left-hander Jake Torres held Utah scoreless in the top of the fifth, back-to-back singles by junior Ryan Stafford and redshirt junior Ryan Fenn allowed senior first baseman Joe Yorke to step to the plate with runners on first and second with no outs. Yorke registered his team-leading fifth RBI of the season despite being thrown out at first as Stafford made it home all the way from second base to make it 5-2 Utah. Yorke is currently ninth in program history for career RBIs with 134.
Trailing 12-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, the Mustangs showed some life as Yorke and freshman Alejandro Garza both singled to put two runners on base with no outs. However, a strikeout and a double play squashed any hopes of a run.
Kordic had a solid day at the plate for Cal Poly, going 2-for-4. Wright, who started on the mound, struck out five batters over 3.2 innings of work while surrendering only two earned runs.
Steels saw his hitting streak come to an end at five games.
The Mustangs committed seven errors in Saturday's game and used seven pitchers.
Cal Poly completes its three-game series against Utah with a doubleheader Sunday starting at 1 p.m. at Baggett Stadium.
(Cal Poly Athletics provided article)
