Moments after Cal Poly tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, Michigan regained the lead in the top of the 10th on a wild pitch and the No. 5 Wolverines beat the Mustangs 4-3 in the opener of a three-game non-conference baseball series Friday night before 1,898 inside Baggett Stadium.
Riley Bertram opened the 10th with a double down the left-field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and trotted home on the wild pitch for the go-ahead run.
Taison Corio led off the bottom of the 10th for Cal Poly with a single up the middle, but a strikeout and a double play ended the game.
Cal Poly, now 1-5 in home games, has lost six of its last seven games to fall to 3-7 overall while Michigan improved to 5-3.
Cal Poly jumped on Michigan starter Jeff Criswell for a pair of runs in the first inning. Cole Cabrera homered down the left-field line leading off the inning. Bradlee Beesley was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout, took third on a wild pitch and came home on a Michigan throwing error.
Criswell then retired 17 of the next 18 Mustang batters while the Michigan hitters rallied for two runs in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2 and one more in the eighth to take the lead.
Jack Blomgren's double to left-center field with two outs in the fifth knocked in two runs and Danny Zimmerman's single to left field scored the go-ahead run in the eighth.
Cal Poly loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth on three walks and Nick DiCarlo tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly to right field. A force play at second base sent the game into extra innings.
Criswell was not involved in the decision, though he allowed just one earned run and three hits over 7 2/3 frames with one walk and six strikeouts. Cameron Weston (1-0), the third Michigan pitcher of the game, secured the final five outs for the win after a blown save in the ninth.
The loss went to Mustang sophomore right-hander Bryan Woo (0-2) as he allowed the go-ahead run in the 10th. He struck out three over 2 2/3 innings.
Cal Poly starter Taylor Dollard, also not involved in the decision, gave up two runs and eight hits over seven innings with no walks and nine strikeouts. Dollard has 31 strikeouts in 21 innings, compiling a 1.71 ERA.
After retiring the side in order in the first two innings, striking out five in a row, Dollard allowed at least two Michigan runners on base in each of the third through sixth frames.
Michigan outhit Cal Poly 10-4, led by Bertram, Blomgren and Joe Donovan with two hits each. The Wolverines stranded 11 runners on the basepaths.
Cal Poly, hitting just .183 in its six losses since winning two of three games in the MLB4 Tournament at Scottsdale, Ariz., to open the season, collected four hits Friday. Cabrera produced his second home run of the year as well as a single while Corio and Nick Marinconz added singles.
Second game of the series will be played Saturday at 4 p.m. with Cal Poly junior southpaw Andrew Alvarez (0-1, 0.84 ERA) to face Michigan redshirt freshman left-hander Steven Hajjar (2-0, 1.64 ERA).
Sunday's series finale starts at 1 o’clock.
-Provide by Cal Poly
