---

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Freshman right fielder Bobby Crocker’s bunt single was subsequently thrown away at first base and senior center fielder Ryan Lee scored all the way from first base with the winning run in the 10th inning as No. 13 Cal Poly rallied to beat defending national champion Fresno State 17-16 on Tuesday night before 1,653 in Baggett Stadium.

The non-conference baseball win elevated Cal Poly’s record to 30-10, marking the second time since the Mustangs moved to Division I 15 years ago that the team was 20 games above the .500 mark. The 2004 squad was 33-13-1 en route to a 38-23-1 campaign.

Fresno State has lost eight of its last 10 games, falling to 20-23 on the year.

Lee drew a one-out walk and Crocker laid down a bunt along the third-base line. Tom Mendonca’s throw was late to get Crocker and sailed past first baseman Alan Ahmady and down the right-field line. Lee was able to score from first base to end the 4-hour, 23-minute game.

Cal Poly, which let an 11-6 lead slip away, forced extra innings by scoring four times in the bottom of the ninth inning. Junior catcher Wes Dorrell doubled off the right-field wall to drive in the first run and freshman second baseman Matt Jensen doubled down the right-field line to knock in two more runs. Sophomore third baseman J.J. Thompson’s bases-loaded walk with two outs forced home the tying run.

Cal Poly overcame early 3-0 and 6-3 deficits by scoring 11 runs in the first three innings, but Fresno State rallied for two runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth for a 12-11 advantage. Left fielder Dusty Robinson capped the comeback with a fifth-inning grand slam, his sixth home run of the year.

The visiting Bulldogs added four more runs in the seventh for a 16-12 cushion. Ahmady singled up the middle to drive in two, right fielder Brennan Gowens singled for an RBI and center fielder Gavin Hedstrom grounded out to knock in the final Fresno State run of the game.

Each team used five pitchers. Senior right-hander Eric Massingham (6-1) pitched a scoreless 10th inning for the win while Taylor Garrison (4-3), who allowed five runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings, suffered the loss.

Mustang junior right-hander Kevin Castner pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit with three strikeouts, to keep Cal Poly within striking distance in the late innings.

Cal Poly outhit Fresno State 19-16, led by Lee, Jensen, right fielder Adam Melker and first baseman Adam Buschini, each with three hits. Jensen knocked in four runs while Buschini had a pair of RBI. Thompson was 1-for-5 with two RBI, extending his hitting streak to 11 games.

Gowens was 4-for-6 for Fresno State, driving in two runs. Robinson was 3-for-7 with four RBI, Mendonca 3-for-4 with three RBI and Ahmady 2-for-6 with five RBI.

Cal Poly has won 18 straight home games and is 18-1 at home this season. The Mustangs beat Fresno State 13-11 in their only other meeting this season Feb. 24 at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno.

Cal Poly reached the 30-victory mark for the fourth time in head coach Larry Lee's seven-year tenure and has already won six more games than it did in all of the 2008 season.

The Mustangs have won all four of their extra-inning games this season and each was won with an unearned run.

Cal Poly, playing five non-conference games this week, visits Saint Mary’s (25-21) on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Louis Guisto Field in Moraga, then returns home to host San Francisco (22-22) for a three-game weekend series in Baggett Stadium.

Freshman southpaw Kyle Anderson (0-0, 6.14 ERA) will start on the mound for the Mustangs against the Gaels.