SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Sophomore designated hitter D.J. Gentile scored from second base on a wild pitch and an overthrow at third base in the 10th inning as No. 16/23 Cal Poly edged Cal State Northridge 11-10 in the opener of a three-game Big West Conference baseball series Friday night before 1,347 in Baggett Stadium. Winning its first extra-inning game of the year, head coach Larry Lee’s Mustangs improved to 19-7 on the year ...
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Sophomore designated hitter D.J. Gentile scored from second base on a wild pitch and an overthrow at third base in the 10th inning as No. 16/23 Cal Poly edged Cal State Northridge 11-10 in the opener of a three-game Big West Conference baseball series Friday night before 1,347 in Baggett Stadium.
Winning its first extra-inning game of the year, head coach Larry Lee’s Mustangs improved to 19-7 on the year and 1-3 in Big West games. The Matadors fell to 13-15 and 2-2.
Cal State Northridge forced extra innings by scoring two unearned runs in the ninth inning. A throwing error allowed the first run to score and catcher John Parham singled to center field with two outs to knot the score at 10-10.
Right-hander Brian Slover (1-2) retired Cal Poly in order in the bottom of the ninth, but Gentile singled to right field with one out in the 10th, his fourth hit of the game, and advanced to second on junior left fielder Luke Yoder’s four-pitch walk.
Slover’s 2-2 pitch to junior catcher Ross Brayton bounced in front of the plate and caromed off Parham, rolling about 10 feet away from the Matador catcher. Gentile reached third on the wild pitch and, when Parham threw wide of the bag, Gentile trotted home with the winning run.
Gentile and Yoder both went 4-for-5 at the plate for Cal Poly and each scored three times and knocked in two more. Senior center fielder Ryan Lee added two hits as the Mustangs outhit the Matadors 15-14 in the 4-hour, 2-minute game.
Shortstop JS Reed and center fielder C.J. Belanger each had three hits for Cal State Northridge.
The win went to Mustang senior right-hander Eric Massingham (3-0), who pitched one scoreless inning. Starter DJ Mauldin surrendered eight runs and 10 hits in six innings while junior right-hander Mark DeVincenzi stretched his scoreless innings streak to 14 before giving up the two unearned runs in the ninth.
Mauldin struck out five and walked four – he entered the game having issued just six walks in 44 innings – while DeVincenzi struck out six and walked two.
Cal Poly let 2-1, 7-6 and 10-8 leads slip away while Cal State Northridge enjoyed leads of 1-0, 6-2 and 8-7 before letting the game get away in the bottom of the 10th.
Both teams squandered numerous scoring opportunities as the Matadors stranded 12 runners on the basepaths and Cal Poly 10.
Second game of the series will be played Saturday night at 6 in Baggett Stadium with sophomore southpaw Matt Leonard (3-1, 6.82 ERA) on the mound for Cal Poly against Cal State Northridge junior right-hander Billy Ott (1-1, 6.30 ERA).
The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 o’clock.
