Fresno State turned a 4-0 deficit around with a 10-run third-inning uprising and went on to defeat Cal Poly 16-6 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night inside Baggett Stadium.
The visiting Bulldogs sent 14 batters to the plate in the third inning. Emilio Nogales, McCarthy Tatum and Nolan Dempsey all produced two-RBI hits in the inning before Craig Colen restored order by securing the final out with one pitch, a grounder to first base.
Despite pounding out 14 hits, Cal Poly fell to 13-17 for the season while Fresno State improved to 16-11. The Mustangs have given up 16 runs in three of their last four games.
Cal Poly jumped to a 4-0 lead with three in the first inning and one more in the second.
Connor Gurnik hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot down the left-field line, while Bradlee Beesley doubled to knock in the second run and Tate Samuelson’s single to right-center field made it 3-0 in the first inning.
Elijah Greene’s sacrifice fly to right field gave the Mustangs a 4-0 advantage in the second before the Bulldogs turned the game around with its 10-run uprising in the third.
Tatum and Dempsey each produced three of Fresno State’s 17 hits and combined for seven RBI — four by Dempsey. Carter Bins, JT Arruda and Emilio Nogales each added two hits for the Bulldogs.
Cal Poly’s 14 hits included two each by Greene, Samuelson, Cole Cabrera, Jack Kuzma and Dylan Doherty, who left the game in the sixth inning due to what appeared to be a hamstring pull.
Nik Cardinal (2-0), the third of seven pitchers used by Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole, earned the win with one scoreless inning of work on the mound. The loss went to Mustang starter Bryan Woo (1-2), who pitched two scoreless frames before surrendering the first five runs of the 10-run Bulldog rally in the third.
Cal Poly, second in the Big West with a 4-2 mark, resumes conference play this weekend with a three-game series at UC Davis.
–Provided by Cal Poly
