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Mustangs Score Winning Run in 10th on Dropped Fly Ball

BOX SCORE

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Junior left fielder Luke Yoder’s one-out fly ball to right field was dropped for an error, allowing junior second baseman Adam Buschini to score from second base as No. 15/18 Cal Poly edged UC Davis 11-10 in a 10-inning Big West Conference baseball game Friday night before 1,747 in Baggett Stadium. The Aggies (6-26, 1-6 Big West) forced extra innings by scoring four runs in the eighth inning to erase a ...

Published Apr 17th, by Eric Burdick

The Aggies (6-26, 1-6 Big West) forced extra innings by scoring four runs in the eighth inning to erase a 10-6 deficit.

In the bottom of the 10th for Cal Poly (25-9, 6-4 Big West), Buschini led off with a walk and took second on junior first baseman Wes Dorrell’s first sacrifice bunt of the season and third of his Mustang career.

Sophomore designated hitter D.J. Gentile, his 15-game hitting streak on the line, walked and Yoder’s fly ball to right on a 1-2 pitch was dropped by UC Davis right fielder Ryan Scoma for an error, allowing Buschini, who was tagging up, to score from second base.

Senior right-hander Eric Massingham (5-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, scattering three hits with one walk and a pair of strikeouts, as Cal Poly improved to 15-1 at home.

The loss went to UC Davis senior right-hander Adam Bennett (2-3) even though he did not allow a hit in his one inning on the mound.

Cal Poly overcame 2-0 and 6-5 deficits, scoring five times in the seventh inning for a 10-6 lead. Sophomore third baseman J.J. Thompson singled down the right-field line to drive in two runs and freshman pinch hitter Matt Jensen, battling the flu, singled to score another run and keep alive his hitting streak, now at 21 games.

Senior center fielder Ryan Lee, who extended his hitting streak to 24 games – one shy of the school record set by Brandon Roberts in 2004 -- with a third-inning single, capped the seventh-inning rally with a two-run single to left field.

UC Davis bounced right back with four runs in the top of the eighth. Key hits were an RBI triple by designated hitter Jared Thompson and run-scoring singles by second baseman Justin Schafer and Scoma.

UC Davis, an NCAA regional qualifier a year ago, outhit Cal Poly 18-10, paced by left fielder Tony Bongiovanni with a double and three singles, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Schafer, Thompson, Scoma and third baseman Ty Kelly each had two hits for the Aggies.

Lee, Thompson and freshman right fielder Bobby Crocker each produced a pair of hits for Cal Poly. Although his 15-game hitting streak was snapped, Gentile was on base four times with three walks and a hit batsman.

With the win, Cal Poly remains tied for second place in the Big West with Pacific, both with 6-4 conference marks. Pacific rallied to beat Cal State Fullerton 5-4, scoring four runs in the top of the ninth inning and dropping the Titans to 5-5 in conference games. UC Santa Barbara, a 7-6 winner over San Jose State in a non-conference contest, remained 5-4 in Big West games.

The Mustangs, who have already exceeded their win total of a year ago when they finished 24-32, earned their third extra-inning victory in the last five games at home.

Second game of the Big West series will be played Saturday night at 6, with Cal Poly sophomore southpaw Matt Leonard (3-1, 7.56 ERA) to face UC Davis freshman southpaw Nathan Slater (0-2, 3.98 ERA).