Cal Poly Baseball escaped Baggett Stadium with a victory over San Jose State by a score of 8-5 on Tuesday, April 8.
The Mustangs (23-8) extended their winning streak to nine games, tied for third longest in the nation with LSU. It also pushes their win streak against the Spartans (18-15) to four games.
Relentless hitting powers offense
The Mustangs scored early and often against San Jose State, taking an early 2-0 lead in the first on a two-out single from senior right fielder Dylan Kordic.
San Jose State and Cal Poly would trade runs throughout the game, a home run in the third by JC Osorio-Agard was matched in the fourth with a no-doubt blast by senior designated hitter Cam Hoiland.
“I feel like we never really falter,” redshirt senior infielder Ryan Fenn said. “We have the mindset of even if they score runs, show up. We are always tacking on… Just staying consistent.”Â
A big sixth inning by the Spartans was once again answered by the Mustangs. Freshman infielder Jake Downing reached with two outs and created a run by himself. He took off to steal second base and managed to head the ball into left-center field. On Downing’s way to third, the throw to the infield was spiked, and he turned the corner to score a much-needed insurance run.
Sophomore third baseman Alejandro Garza tacked on one more run in the inning with an RBI single after a triple from Fenn to make it 8-5.
It was Cal Poly’s ninth straight showing of double-digit hits, adding to its nine-game winning streak. With its win, the Mustangs are 6-0 in midweek contests this season.
“If you treat midweek games like weekend games you pick up that many more wins,” Fenn said. “We have 10 midweek games throughout the season… picking up 10 wins is huge.”
Full staff effort
Freshman right-hander Troy Cooper got his first start of the season after having worked out the bullpen earlier in the season.
In his first inning of work, Cooper walked the bases loaded with two outs but was able to escape unscathed with a strikeout.
Cooper would not be as fortunate in the next inning as three straight singles loaded the bases for the second straight inning. A sacrifice fly would bring home a run before Cal Poly could escape the inning.Â
The third brought more trouble as a two-out homer followed by a single spelled the end of Cooper’s night. His final line was 2 ⅔ innings pitched, with two runs on four hits and four walks.
Sophomore righty Reece Bueno got the call from the bullpen. It was his first work in almost over a month, with the last appearance on March 16 against Long Beach State. He got out of the jam before pitching two more scoreless innings.
In his third full inning of work, Bueno loaded the bases with no outs, and head coach Larry Lee turned to sophomore lefty Chris Downs.
Downs got two groundouts that scored a run each before an RBI single scored the remaining inherited runner to bring the Spartan deficit to just one run at 6-5.
Senior left-hander Jake Torres got the seventh and eighth innings, giving up just one hit and bridging the game over to senior right-hander Tanner Sagouspe for the ninth.
The Spartans got the tying run to the plate but Sagouspe got a pair of strikeouts to collect his fifth save of the campaign.
Cal Poly gets their toughest task in the Big West yet, as they take on the Rainbow Warriors of Hawai’i at Baggett Stadium from Friday, April 11 to Sunday, April 13.
