Cal Poly sweeps their way to 9-0 start in Big West
DAVIS, Calif. - Sophomore left-hander Josh Volmerding took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and Cal Poly unleashed a 15-hit offensive attack as the Mustangs shut out UC Davis 11-0 in the opener of a Big West Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon on Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium.
Volmerding lost his bid for Cal Poly's second no-hitter in its 31-year Division I history when pinch hitter Matteo Blandino singled to right-center field leading off the bottom of the ninth inning.
Having thrown 111 pitches, Volmerding was relieved by Erik Kvidahl and the junior from Napa retired all three batters he faced to close out the Mustangs' 16th win in their last 19 games and their third one-hitter in Division I history.
Cal Poly stretched its recent surge to 17 wins in 20 contests with a 5-1 triumph in Saturday's nightcap, completing a sweep of the series and improving to 9-0 in Big West games and 18-8 for the season. UC Davis fell to 12-13 and 3-6.
Volmerding (3-1) struck out a career-high nine batters over eight-plus innings, issuing just one walk. Seven of his strikeouts were in his final four innings of work as he surpassed the eight strikeouts he compiled in a loss to then-No. 1-ranked Texas A&M on Feb. 22.
"He had great command of his fastball and his curveball and slider were working really well," Cal Poly pitching coach Seth Moir said.
Volmerding retired the side in order four times and during one stretch set down 14 consecutive UC Davis batters and 20 of 21 before giving up the ninth-inning single to Blandino.
Volmerding's gem came exactly one year to the day after Griffin Naess tossed eight scoreless hitless frames at Cal State Fullerton before giving up a leadoff single in the ninth. Tanner Sagouspe closed out that one-hitter with a perfect ninth.
Cal Poly's only complete-game one-hitter in 31 years of Division I play was earned by Gary Daley Jr. in a 6-0 victory at Baggett Stadium against Washington in 2005. Daley struck out seven.
Volmerding received plenty of offensive support as the Mustangs broke up a scoreless game with four runs in the fourth inning and added one run in the fifth and three more in both the sixth and seventh frames.
Shortstop Nate Castellon drove in three runs with a two-run double and a squeeze bunt while second baseman Ryan Fenn added two singles and a double for a pair of RBIs. Right fielder Dylan Kordic and first baseman Zach Daudet each knocked in a pair of runs with two hits as the Mustangs scored the most runs in a game at Dobbins Stadium since a 12-5 win in 2015.
In the nightcap, catcher Jack Collins produced his first multi-homer game as a Mustang with a two-run shot in the first inning and a solo blast in the ninth, giving him a team-leading nine round-trippers on the year.
Sophomore right-hander Ethan Marmie (4-2) scattered seven hits and allowed just one run over seven innings for the victory, striking out three. Jacob Torres and Sagouspe each tossed one scoreless inning in relief.
Fenn and Kordic both banged out three hits while Daudet, Collins and designated hitter Xander McLaurin each added a pair of hits as the Mustangs outhit the Aggies 16-8 in the game and 44-15 for the series.
Cal Poly, which outscored UC Davis 20-3 in the series, was led by Daudet, who went 7-for-11 with three doubles. Fenn was 8-for-16 with two doubles and Kordic 6-for-14 with a double and three RBIs.
The two teams played a doubleheader Saturday to avoid rain predicted for Sunday in the Davis area.
Cal Poly, which has produced double-digit hits in 15 of its last 19 games and has compiled a .333 batting average and 3.61 staff ERA during its 17-3 run, plays its midweek game Monday at Fresno State, with first pitch set for 2:05 p.m.
The Mustangs return home to host UC San Diego for a three-game Big West series next Friday through Sunday.
(Article courtesy Cal Poly Athletics).
