EUGENE, Ore. – Zach Daudet has a knack for the moment.
A little over 24 hours after launching an insurance home run against the hosting Oregon Ducks, Daudet stepped up to the plate to leadoff the 11th inning.
A 1-2 pitch was hammered against Utah Valley reliever Carston Herman, one that kept on carrying all the way over the wall for a 7-6 walk off victory.
If you there was a game to show any person how good West Coast baseball is, this was it.
A strong Utah Valley program that won the WAC facing off against Big West champions Cal Poly in a win or go home game for both teams.
The Mustangs and Wolverines battled back and forth, with Dante Vachini’s one out double opening the scoring for Cal Poly.
Luke Kovach drew the starting assignment for the Mustangs, pitching a clean first before loading the bases in the second forced Lee to go to Chris Downs.
The next Utah Valley batter, Landon Frei, uncorked a 3-1 offering over left field for a 4-1 Wolverine advantage.
Perseverance has been a theme all season long and it has been talked about at length by the team whether that be after a come from behind regular season win or in the Big West tournament.
It was no different today.
Cam Hoiland led off the third with a homer, his second in Eugene to make it a 4-2 game.
Ryan Fenn, battling through an injury, lined a single to score another runner and put runners on the corner.
A balk by Utah Valley starter Jacob Heppner scored another run and put Fenn in scoring position to tie the game at 4-4.
Nate Castellon, steady all year long, roped a bases loaded double for the fourth and fifth runs of the inning and staking Cal Poly to a 6-4 lead in the third.
For as much as Cal Poly has talked about perseverance, it was the same with Utah Valley
“I feel like this game summed up what our season is,” Wolverines head coach Nate Rasmussen said. “A bunch of getting punched in the mouth and having to come back. A lot of toughness.”
This is a team that went 1-10 in May prior to the WAC tournament, and a team that started the season 2-7.
They don’t make Eugene without perseverance.
Utah Valley got one back with a Dominc Longo homer in the sixth, before tying the game in the seventh with a Jayden Smith double down the line.
The teams traded scoreless innings, all the way into extras.
Jake Torres, pitching in his third straight game had to come on to escape a bases loaded jam in the ninth, before pitching scoreless 10th and 11th frames.
Finally, Daudet led off the 11th and caught a 1-2 offering over the left center wall, winning the game for Cal Poly.
Daudet, Fenn and Hoiland all had three hits, while Jake Torres spun 2.1 innings of scoreless ball. He picked up the win for his second in as many days.
There is little time to celebrate, as they play Arizona in PK Park at 7:30 p.m., their third straight win or go home game in these regionals, and their sixth in two weekends.
