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Mustangs Sweep Day-Night Doubleheader Against No. 3 Rice

BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Sophomore first baseman J.J. Thompson’s double to the gap in right-center field knocked in the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as Cal Poly completed a comeback from a 6-2 deficit and upset No. 3 Rice 7-6 Saturday night in Baggett Stadium. Coach Larry Lee’s Mustangs (2-1) also won the first game of Saturday’s day-night doubleheader, 10-3, and captured the season-opening non-conference baseball series, two ...

Published Feb 21st, by Eric Burdick

Coach Larry Lee’s Mustangs (2-1) also won the first game of Saturday’s day-night doubleheader, 10-3, and captured the season-opening non-conference baseball series, two games to one.

Freshman left fielder Bobby Crocker ignited the rally with a one-out single up the middle, then stole second base. Thompson belted a 2-0 pitch from Rice reliever Matthew Reckling into the gap in right-center field, scoring Crocker with the winning run and completing the twinbill sweep.

The win went to junior right-hander Eric Massingham (1-0), who gave up three runs and three hits in the fifth inning after relieving starter Matt Leonard, but then shut the door on the visiting Owls the rest of the way, allowing no runs and one hit over the final four innings of his five-inning stint. Massingham struck out four and walked three.

Reckling (0-1) was charged with the loss. Rice starter Mike Ojala allowed three runs, just one earned, and five hits in 6 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and four walks, leaving the game in the seventh with a 6-3 lead.

Hits were even at nine apiece.

Senior shortstop Kyle Smith singled three times, scored three times and knocked in a pair of runs to lead Cal Poly. Senior center fielder Ryan Lee and Thompson each added two hits.

Shortstop Rick Hague and third baseman Anthony Rendon each had two hits for Rice (1-2).

Trailing 6-2, Cal Poly began its comeback with a run in the seventh inning as Smith singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The Mustangs tied the game at 6-6 with three runs in the eighth. Smith singled to knock in one run, junior right fielder Adam Melker was hit by a pitch for the second run and junior first baseman Wes Dorrell also was hit by a pitch to knot the score at 6-6 and set the stage for Thompson’s game-winning heroics in the ninth.

In the first game, junior right-hander DJ Mauldin scattered 10 hits over seven innings and junior third baseman Adam Buschini drove in three runs as Cal Poly beat the Owls 10-3.

The win marked the first time in five tries that the Mustangs beat the Owls. Cal Poly had a lead late in all three games of a series in Houston in 2007 and was ahead 7-6 after five innings Friday night, but couldn’t hold onto any of them.

But in Saturday’s opener, Mauldin allowed three runs with one walk and four strikeouts for the victory and Cal Poly put together a 13-hit offensive attack, scoring at least two runs in each of the first four innings for a 9-1 advantage and coasting to the win.

Buschini knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt for another RBI in the second frame and doubled in another run in the eighth inning for his three-RBI total.

Sophomore designated hitter D.J. Gentile produced three of the Mustangs’ 13 hits, including a double, while Melker, Lee and Crocker each added two hits. Crocker, in his first collegiate start, also drove in two runs.

Freshman southpaw Taylor Wall, 14-1 with an 0.64 ERA as a senior in high school last spring, suffered the loss for Rice, allowing eight runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Designated hitter Diego Seastrunk, center fielder Steven Sultzbaugh and left fielder Michael Fuda each had two of Rice’s 12 hits. One of Seastrunk’s hits was a solo home run leading off the sixth inning.

Cal Poly plays its first road game of the 2009 season Tuesday night, visiting defending national champion Fresno State for a 6:05 p.m. single game.

The Mustangs return home next weekend to host Sacramento State for a three-game non-conference series in Baggett Stadium. Games Friday and Saturday begin at 6 p.m., with the series finale Sunday set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.