Cal Poly Baseball took a midweek excursion to Fresno State, picking up the victory 7-3 on Tuesday, March 4 at Beiden Field.
The Mustangs (6-6) were able to hit whoever the Bulldogs (5-7) threw at them, with five of eight Fresno State pitchers giving up a run.
Cal Poly also finds their way back to .500 after starting the season 1-5. This comes at a good time as the Mustangs open Big West Conference play this upcoming weekend.
Offense stays hot
After a bad offensive start in their first two series, the Mustangs poured it on against Seton Hall. In the four-game set they scored 50 runs, their second highest total in a series as a Division-I program.
They kept it rolling against Fresno State, picking up 14 hits and drawing four walks. Cal Poly has scored five runs in their past five games.
Junior catcher Jack Collins led the way with three hits, and two RBI’s on an eighth inning double.
Senior Dylan Kordic broke out of his slump with a three-hit game, before being lifted for a pinch runner.
Freshman shortstop Nate Castellon continued his fast start to his collegiate career with a hit and successful sacrifice bunt.
Southpaw magic
Freshman left-hander Luke Kalfsbeek made the most of his first collegiate start after a pair of scoreless relief appearances.
He scattered eight hits and a walk across 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs.
After Kalfsbeek got into trouble in the bottom of the fifth, head coach Larry Lee turned to fellow lefty sophomore Chris Downs.
Downs escaped the two-out jam and stymied the Bulldogs the rest of the game, going the final 4 1/3. The only blemish on his line was a solo homerun in the ninth inning.
Both pitchers are quickly proving that they can be trusted on the hill. Either giving some length during midweek contests like they did against Fresno State, or out of the pen for an inning on the weekends.
Cal Poly returns home for the first Big West Conference series of the year, as they take on CSU Fullerton Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 9 at Baggett Stadium.
