SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A pair of three-run innings erased UC San Diego leads as the Cal Poly baseball team maintained its perfect record in Big West Conference games and stretched its winning streak overall to six with a 9-6 victory Friday night inside Baggett Stadium.
Sophomore southpaw Chris Downs (3-0) allowed one run over three innings and senior lefty Jake Torres earned his first save for the Mustangs, who improved to 10-0 in conference games, No. 3 in the Big West record book for a start to league play, and, with 19 wins in their last 22 games, 20-8 overall.
Trailing 2-0 in the third inning, Cal Poly took a 3-2 lead on an RBI triple by first baseman Jake Downing, a run-scoring infield single by second baseman Ryan Fenn and Alejandro Garza's run-producing single through the right side of the UC San Diego infield.
Behind 5-4 in the sixth, the Mustangs put together another three-run rally thanks to an RBI single by shortstop Nate Castellon, a bases-loaded wild pitch and Dante Vachini's run-scoring grounder to second base.
Cal Poly added to its 7-5 lead with a pair of runs in the seventh. Right fielder Dylan Kordic celebrated his 22nd birthday with an RBI single to left field and Castellon plated another run with his double to left.
Downs struck out four over his three-inning stint on the mound, giving up one walk and two hits, while Torres hurled two scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts. The run surrendered by Downs in the seventh inning was his first in exactly one month when he gave up a ninth-inning run in a win over Fresno State on March 4.
Not allowing a run in a stretch of 18 2/3 innings, Downs' ERA for the season now stands at 1.30 over 27 2/3 innings.
Bidding for his fourth win of the season, Mustang starter Griffin Naess struggled through four innings, giving up five runs and eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts in his 82-pitch effort.
The loss was charged to UC San Diego starter Matthew Dalquist (3-3) as he allowed seven runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and did not strike out a batter.
For the 17th time in its last 21 games, Cal Poly's offense produced double-digit hits. The 12-hit attack Friday night was led by Garza, Castellon, Downing and designated hitter Cam Hoiland, each with a pair of hits.
Downing replaced Zach Daudet, Cal Poly's leading hitter with a .410 average, in the lineup at first base after Daudet pinched a nerve in his neck earlier in the week. With his double and triple Friday night, the freshman lifted his average to .375. He had five hits when he replaced the injured Fenn in the Cal State Fullerton series last month.
Cal Poly's 10-game winning streak to start Big West play trails only Fresno State (18 games in 1988) and Cal State Fullerton (11 games in 1999). The Mustangs have won 11 straight contests on the road, the longest such streak in the nation. Bowling Green is next with 10 and, like Cal Poly, is playing at home this weekend.
The Mustangs currently have an RPI of 25, the highest for a Big West team. UC Irvine is No. 26 after its 12-0 non-conference win at Oregon State on Friday. The Anteaters, who have won 12 straight games overall, remain second in the Big West with an 11-1 mark.
Second game of the series will be played Saturday at 3 pm with sophomore southpaw Josh Volmerding (3-1, 5.70 ERA) on the mound for Cal Poly. Volmerding threw eight hitless innings at UC Davis last weekend before surrendering a leadoff walk in the ninth and struck out a career-high nine Aggie batters.
Sunday's series finale starts at 1 pm.
(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).
Perfect 10 for Cal Poly as they remain undefeated in Big West News Channel 3-12.
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