Fresno State rallied from an early deficit to beat Cal Poly for the second time this season, giving up the first six runs and bouncing back for an 8-6 victory Tuesday night on Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
In the first meeting between the two Central California rivals April 9, the Bulldogs trailed 4-0 before erupting for 10 runs in the third inning on their way to a 16-6 triumph at Baggett Stadium.
With the loss, Cal Poly slips below the .500 mark at 20-21. Winning 17 of its last 24 games, Fresno State improves to 27-13-1.
Nick DiCarlo belted his first two home runs as a Mustang and Conagher Sands drove in two runs with a first-inning double, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, as Cal Poly built its 6-0 lead in the first four innings.
Fresno State erased the deficit with two runs in the fourth, three in the sixth and three in the eighth. Of the eight Bulldog runs, six were earned as Cal Poly committed three errors.
Despite the loss, Cal Poly outhit Fresno State 11-10, led by DiCarlo, Bradlee Beesley and Tate Samuelson, each with two hits. McCarthy Tatum, EJ Andrews Jr., and Nolan Dempsey each produced two hits for the Bulldogs.
Fresno State’s comeback was sparked by Dempsey with a run-scoring triple in the fourth inning and a three-run home run, his fifth of the year, in the sixth.
The Bulldogs took the lead for the first time in the eighth on a throwing error, an RBI single by pinch-hitter Matt Ottino and a bases-loaded walk.
The win was credited to Oscar Carvajal (4-0), the fifth of six Bulldog pitchers used in the game. He pitched a scoreless eighth frame with one strikeout and Jaime Arias earned his 10th save by striking out two in the ninth.
The loss went to Dylan Villalobos (1-3), who secured four outs in relief of starter Darren Nelson but gave up the three runs in the eighth inning. Nelson pitched into the sixth inning for just the second time in his last seven starts, allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits over 5 2/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts.
Cal Poly, 1-4 in its five non-conference games over the last eight days, returns to Big West play this weekend with a three-game series against Hawai’i (19-22, 7-8 Big West) inside Baggett Stadium. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 o’clock Sunday.
The Mustangs are in first place in the Big West at 10-2, one game ahead of UC Santa Barbara (9-3) and a game-and-a-half in front of third-place UC Irvine (10-5).
–Provided by Cal Poly
