Cal Poly baseball was held to just one run in a 9-1 loss to Santa Clara University on Tuesday, Apr. 26 in Stephen Schott Stadium.
Santa Clara (22-17, 10-8 West Coast) scored early, as they had five combined runs in the first and second inning to avenge a 15-6 loss against the Mustangs (24-16, 11-4 Big West) earlier in the season.
The Broncos got on the board in the first inning when they produced three doubles for two runs to give them a 2-0 lead. They then extended their lead to 5-0 in the second inning after a two-run double by Dawson Brigman and an RBI groundout.
Santa Clara scored another run in the fourth inning after a wild pitch by sophomore righthander Derek True and a walk with the bases loaded in the sixth inning to give them a 7-0 lead.
Cal Poly scored its lone run in the eighth inning, as freshman catcher Ryan Stafford crossed home after a pair of Santa Clara errors.
The Broncos added two more runs in the eighth inning, both off of wild pitches.
Stafford and senior infielder Tate Samuelson each collected two of Cal Poly’s seven hits as the Mustangs narrowly avoided being shut out for the first time in 2022.
Freshman lefty Noah Larkin (2-3) was handed the loss, as he left the game after giving up two runs on four hits in the first inning.
The second-place Mustangs will look to bounce back as they return home for a massive three-game conference series against rival and Big West-leading UC Santa Barbara from Friday, Apr. 29 to Sunday, May 1 at Baggett Stadium.
