No. 5 Michigan scored two unearned runs in the eighth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and defeated Cal Poly 4-2 Sunday afternoon in Baggett Stadium, clinching the three-game non-conference baseball series, two games to one.
Cal Poly, which let 1-0 and 2-1 leads slip away, had the lead in all three games of the series but fell to 4-8 for the season. Michigan is now 6-4 and will continue its Spring Break trip with single games at Cal and Stanford followed by a weekend series at Pepperdine.
Cal Poly scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning as Myles Emmerson reached base on a Michigan throwing error and eventually came home on a wild pitch.
Michigan answered in the top of the sixth as Clark Elliott tripled with one out and scored on a single by Jack Blomgren.
Cal Poly quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Cole Cabrera drew a one-out walk, took third on a single down the right-field line by Emmerson and came home on Bradlee Beesley's safety squeeze bunt.
Michigan tied the game again in the seventh as Blomgren singled down the right-field line with two outs, scoring pinch-runner Joey Velazquez from second base.
The Wolverines went ahead with two runs in the eighth. Two Mustang errors put Michigan runners at first and second with one out. Cam Hart's single to right-center field drove in the go-ahead run and Ted Burton's sacrifice fly pushed across an insurance run.
Cal Poly had two runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not get them home.
Michigan outhit Cal Poly 12-4, led by center fielder Jordan Nwogu with a 4-for-5 day at the plate. Blomgren added three hits and a pair of RBIs.
Shortstop Nick Marinconz singled twice for Cal Poly, which hit just .180 in the series. The Mustangs were six of 42 (.143) with runners on base, 3-for-27 (.111) with runners in scoring position and hit .103 (three of 29) with two outs in the series.
Beesley and Tate Samuelson, both of whom had nine-game hitting streaks entering the series, were a combined 1-for-24 in the series.
The Mustang pitching staff compiled a 2.79 ERA.
Cal Poly visits Santa Clara (8-5) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Broncos split four weekend games against Sacramento State.
Next weekend, the Mustangs host Baylor (7-3) for a three-game series Friday through Sunday.
- Provided by Cal Poly
