Cal Poly Baseball was unable to steal a win from No. 7 Oregon State over the weekend, and the Mustangs (18-16) have been swept in back-to-back series against strong opponents.
Coming off a series against UCSB, which holds the best team ERA in the country, it did not get much easier against the Beavers (28-7), who rank eighth in run allowance nationally.
The Mustangs have faced tough pitching all year long, with Hawai’i and USC also in the top eight in ERA. Cal Poly’s offense fared better this series than they did against the likes of UCSB and USC, scoring 11 runs over three games.
On Friday, the Mustangs chased highly-touted Beavers starter Dax Whitney out of the game after just two innings. The Beavers’ bullpen allowed just one run the rest of the way and took control of the game, winning 6-3. Freshman Antonio Castro hit a home run to the opposite field, his second round-tripper of the year.
Cal Poly’s best offensive day came on Saturday, when they scored six runs and out-hit Oregon State, 10-9. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the pitching had its worst performance of the series, giving up 11 runs, eight of them earned.
Cal Poly grabbed an early three-run lead in the first inning, highlighted by an Alejandro Garza solo home run. The Beavers’ offense responded with eight unanswered runs throughout the next five frames, forcing an early exit from Cal Poly starter Carson Turnquist.
Sunday’s finale was the heartbreaker. Solo shots from Nate Castellon and Dylan Kordic gave the Mustangs a 2-1 advantage that held until the bottom of the ninth. With two of Cal Poly’s high-leverage relievers, Nick Bonn and Brady Estes, on the mound, the Beavers rallied to score two and walk off as winners, stealing a ranked win from Cal Poly’s grasp.
Garza had a three-hit game and finished a stellar 8-13 in the series, unfazed by the high-octane pitching.
The Mustangs have come close multiple times against top-notch teams this season, but were never able to finish a ball game on top, finishing 0-10 against USC, UCSB, and Oregon State combined. Regardless of what the team accomplishes the rest of the way, these losses could loom large later in the season in terms of postseason play.
Cal Poly has fared well in conference play so far, and all the remaining weekend opponents are from the Big West. UC San Diego will be the next test, and a confusing one. The Tritons are 11-4 in conference play but sit under .500 overall.
Cal Poly will travel to La Jolla next weekend, but not before taking on Pepperdine at home on Tuesday with first pitch at 5:05 p.m.