Coming off three straight conference series losses including most recently getting swept by UC San Diego, Cal Poly Baseball looked to get back on track in a mid-week matchup against Pepperdine.
However, a fielding error in the eighth allowed the Waves to take the lead and hold on for a 4-3 win on Tuesday, May 2 at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
The youth of the Mustangs (14-28, 8-13 Big West) has shown throughout the season, and it showed in the loss to Pepperdine (16-25, 7-14 WCC).
In the top of the first, sophomore catcher Ryan Stafford doubled down the right field line to bring in junior centerfielder Jake Steels for the game’s first run and to give Cal Poly the lead.
Stafford, a Freshmen All-American last year, is third on the team with a .322 batting average and leads the way in runs scored with 174.
They kept it rolling in the second as redshirt sophomore third baseman Ryan Fenn, who leads the team with a .352 batting average, hit a sacrifice fly to drive home freshman designated hitter Evan Cloyd and go up 2-0.
Fenn’s 15-game hitting streak ended after he went 0-for-4 on his at-bats.
Pitching and defense proved to be the downfall once again of this Mustangs team, beginning in the seventh inning when a Pepperdine batter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the first run for the Waves.
Across the game, Cal Poly walked nine batters and hit two while also committing three fielding errors.
In the next inning, a Pepperdine batter doubled, but a fielding error in the outfield allowed three runs to score for the Waves, giving them a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth.
Junior shortstop Aaron Casillas, a CSU Bakersfield transfer, knocked an RBI double to score Steels to cut the lead to one in the ninth, but Pepperdine shut down the rally to hand the Mustangs their fifth straight loss.
The defeat marks the 13th time that Cal Poly has lost a game on the opponent’s final at-bat.
Senior righthander Carlo Lopiccolo was charged with the loss after giving up three runs, two of which were earned, in the eighth.
Up next, the Mustangs will take on UC Davis in a three-game set beginning on Friday, May 5 at 2:30 p.m. at Phil Swimley Field.