Cal Poly baseball completed a series sweep of CSU Bakersfield in blowout fashion, winning 12-6 on Sunday.
The Mustangs (31-15, 18-6 Big West) took advantage of the Roadrunners’ (17-32, 8-16) lackluster pitching, scoring nine or more runs in the final two games of the three-game set. The Mustangs tallied 18 hits in the win Sunday, with every starter recording a base knock.
With the sweep, Cal Poly remains in second place in the Big West standings. They sit behind No. 8 UC Irvine and in front of Cal State Fullerton.
Cal Poly’s offense has once again found its groove after four Mustangs had three or more hits in Saturday’s 9-5 win. Three hitters did it on Sunday.
Freshman Dante Vachini went 4-for-4 out of the nine-hole while knocking in three runs. Second baseman Ryan Fenn and Bakersfield native Alejandro Garza each went 3-for-5 with one RBI.
Freshman shortstop Nate Castellon continued his hot hitting with two more hits and three runs batted in. The balanced lineup of the Mustangs scored 25 runs in the series without hitting a home run. Situational hitting and big innings on consecutive base hits were the winning formula for Cal Poly this weekend.
Cal Poly used their offense to get out of trouble early. After grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first, the Roadrunners scored four unanswered runs off starter Ethan Marmie and led 4-2 going into the fourth inning.
After consecutive dominant outings by starters Griffin Naess and Josh Volmerding to open the series, Marmie was unable to replicate their success, only lasting 2 2/3 innings. Marmie only gave up three hits but struggled with control, walking four.
As has been a theme all season long, when a Mustang starter gets roughed up, the offense is there to get the game back on track. Things were no different in Cal Poly’s third straight victory.
Sophomore Josh Morano, redshirt junior Tanner Sagoupse and freshman Luke Kalfsbeek each had scoreless outings in relief, with Morano and Sagoupse going multiple innings.
Kalfsbeek pitched the ninth inning and was dominant. The freshman lefthander worked a 1-2-3 inning and struck out two in just 12 pitches.
Cal Poly has a plethora of left-handed options out of the bullpen, Morano and Kalfsbeek included. With Sagoupse being the only right-handed reliever heavily used this season, manager Larry Lee has had to rely on his southpaws to deliver, and they have.
The Mustangs will now pivot to their final mid-week game of the season, a home game against Pepperdine on Tuesday, May 6.