Cal Poly miscues leads to 8-2 loss to #6 Oregon State
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - After earning their second win against a top-10 ranked team this season during Saturday night's walk off, the Mustangs faced a rubber match against Oregon State on Sunday but dropped the series with a 8-2 finale loss.
The Mustangs (14-8, 6-0 BWC) dropped their first home series of the season, but still managed to snatch a top-10 win on Saturday and post their largest attendance (2,934) against a non-conference opponent in program history on Sunday. That wrapped up a total attendance of 7,533 for the weekend, the fifth-highest in Cal Poly's record book.
Alejandro Garza, providing half of Cal Poly's runs in a 2-for-4 game three performance, finished the series 7-for-14 with a pair of doubles and RBIs. The hero of game two, Jack Collins went 1-for-4 and supplied the only other Mustang run, getting on base for the 20th time this season.
In spite of the losses, Cal Poly's offense gave a valiant effort against the Beaver pitching staff, which ranked fourth in the nation for ERA coming into the series. The Mustangs collected 28 total hits and 10 runs, the most Oregon State has suffered in a series this season.
Oregon State earned a four-run lead on two hits and a trio of defensive errors in the top of three, which was bolstered by another pair of runs scored on wild pitches in the fourth. For the early deficit, Ethan Marmie (3-2) was eventually stuck with the loss.
Although it was a challenging day for the Mustang pitcher, as a unit, Josh Morano (4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) relieved Marmie in the fifth and immediately retired three Beavers in order to stall the Oregon State offense that was coming off six runs over the last two innings.
Cal Poly finally enjoyed a small burst of offense in the bottom of six, two outs on the board. Alejandro Garza cranked a ball to left field that leapt past the outfielder's diving attempt and turned into a double, which Jack Collins followed up with an RBI single in the same direction.
That cut a pair of runs into the deficit with three innings left to play as Cal Poly was playing from behind for the third straight day. With two outs looming, the Mustangs have gotten hits alongside runs in 11 different innings this season.
A no doubt home run from Oregon State in the top of eight erased one of Cal Poly's answered runs and another homer the opposite way in the ninth brough the Beavers back to a six-run lead. That gap would remain for the 8-2 Oregon State (18-4) victory.
The Mustangs head on the road for the rest of the month, starting with Pepperdine on Tuesday, March 25. Cal Poly gets back into conference play at UC Davis from March 28-30, and one more midweek matchup at Fresno State on Monday, March 31 will book-ends the month before the Mustangs welcome UC San Diego for Alumni Weekend to open April.
(Article courtesy Cal Poly Athletics).
