College Roundup

Poly boots away a chance to take series from Fullerton

Despite banging out 15 hits, the Cal Poly baseball team’s woes at Goodwin Field continued as the Mustangs lost 12-9 to No. 15 Cal State Fullerton on Sunday in the finale of a three-game Big West Conference series.

A season-high five errors by the Mustangs gave way to six unearned runs, two of which came off Cal Poly starting pitcher Steven Fischback. Fischback was chased from the game after throwing just two innings and allowing five runs (three earned) off seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts.

The loss gave the Titans a 2-1 advantage in the series and drops the Mustangs’ record to 3-23 at the Titans’ home ballpark since they moved to Division I in 1995.

The Mustangs (23-26, 7-11 Big West) were in position to make things interesting after they tied the score at 7 during the top half of the sixth inning. The Mustangs scored three times in the inning off a three-run homer by catcher Josh Thomas—his second home run of the game.

Cal State Fullerton (32-17, 15-6) didn’t wait long before retaking the lead.

Helped by two hits and two Cal Poly errors, the Titans scored three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to go ahead 10-7.

In Cal Poly’s 26 losses this season, the Mustangs have had the lead in 23 of them and were tied in another. The Mustangs have only trailed twice from start to finish and lost.

Reliever Grant Theophilus (1-3) took the loss for the Mustangs. Cal State Fullerton starting pitcher Cory Arbiso (10-2) is unbeaten on Sundays, improving to 10-0.

————

SOFTBALL Cal Poly left out of NCAA Tournament

Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton were the only two Big West Conference teams invited to the NCAA Tournament when the 64-team field was announced Sunday.

Cal Poly, the defending Big West champ who went 0-2 in last season’s NCAA Tournament, finished third in the Big West this season at 12-9 and finished 24-22 overall.