Cal Poly upsets #1 Texas A&M with 3-run 9th inning rally

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS. - Jack Collins and Braxton Thomas overturned the odds against the consensus top team in the country during a three-run rally in the top of the ninth, as Cal Poly snatched a 3-2 series finale win over No. 1 Texas A&M.

In front of a crowd of 5,315 at Blue Bell Park, the Mustangs can chalk this down as their third win over a No. 1 in their Division I era, with the previous two being a 9-8 MLB4 Tournament victory over Vanderbilt in 2020 and a 7-1 home contest against Cal State Fullerton in 2005 at Baggett Stadium.

Ethan Marmie inarguably starred on the mound in the most notable pitching appearance of his young career thus far, totaling 92 pitches through seven complete innings, striking out a pair of allowing just two earned runs on five hits to keep Cal Poly in it the entire time.

Redshirt junior reliever Tanner Sagoupse has yet to allow a run this season in 5 ? innings and four appearances, racking up seven strikeouts to just one walk while notching his first win. The righty retired the last ten batters he faced, with four on Saturday and six on Sunday, all in 42 total pitches.

Marmie pitched five of his seven innings hitless, including four being three-up three-down efforts. Texas A&M managed both its runs in the bottom of three, stringing together a pair of singles and ground out. Otherwise, Marmie tied his career-high for strikeouts and set a new high innings pitched.

Heading into the final inning of play and their last three outs, the Mustangs had only accumulated four hits and been in one scoring position the entire game. However, that did not stop Cal Poly from pulling out all the stops when it mattered.

Ryan Fenn led off the top of nine with a single to center just before Collins turned on one that flew past over the left field wall for a game-tying two-run homer. Casey Murray Jr. got on base the following at-bat via fielding error and promptly advanced to third on a sac bunt and subsequent wild pitch.

Braxton Thomas completed the comeback with his go-ahead RBI grounder that forced a fielder's choice, which Murray Jr. easily beat under the tag at home. Up 3-2, it was all down to the prowess of Sagouspe who pitched to weak contact on three consecutive Aggies, taking the final, unassisted groundout to first base, himself.

At 2-5, the Mustangs finally open their home slate with a four-game series against Seton Hall next weekend at Baggett Stadium.

(Article courtesy Cal Poly Athletics)