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Cal Poly baseball team falls to Pepperdine in 2020 home opener, 9-2

Posted at 10:15 PM, Feb 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-19 02:59:35-05

Three Pepperdine pitchers combined to hold Cal Poly to just four singles and first baseman Justin Lutes drove in four runs as the Waves defeated Cal Poly 9-2 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night inside Baggett Stadium.

Pepperdine improved to 4-0 with the win while Cal Poly fell to 2-2.

Starter Gunnar Groen (1-0) allowed one run and two hits over five innings for the win. Dane Morrow gave up a run and two hits in three innings of work on the mound and Trevor Franklin tossed a scoreless ninth.

Lutes doubled home a run in the fifth inning, smashed a two-run home run in the seventh and collected his fourth RBI with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Third baseman Aharon Modlin singled three times, driving in one run, while right fielder Reese Alexiades, designated hitter David LeBioda and second baseman Ryan Johnson each added two hits to power Pepperdine's 13-hit offensive attack.

Mustang freshman right-hander Derek True (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. Ryan Jameson, Craig Colen and Matt Arens pitched in relief for Cal Poly.

Playing its home opener, the Mustangs' four hits were singles by center fielder Bradlee Beesley, third baseman Tate Samuelson, right fielder Elijah Greene and catcher Myles Emmerson.

Greene scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning and Samuelson picked up his sixth RBI of the season with his single in the sixth inning.

With four hits, Cal Poly's team batting average slipped to .225. Last year's .252 mark was Cal Poly's lowest in 25 Division I seasons.

Cal Poly welcomes Brigham Young (2-2) for a four-game series Thursday through Saturday. Games Thursday and Friday nights start at 6 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.

-Provided by Cal Poly