Cal Poly sweeps doubleheader against Hawaii, UC Irvine to force winner-take-all game

With its season on the line, Cal Poly swept a doubleheader of two elimination games on Saturday to force a winner-take-all championship game on Sunday in the Big West baseball tournament.

In the early game, the Mustangs held off Hawaii 2-1, recording the final out with the tying and potential winning runs in scoring position.

The win advanced Cal Poly to the night game against UC Irvine, who beat the Mustangs 15-3 on Friday in a game called after seven innings under the mercy rule.

But Cal Poly returned the favor Saturday night, handing the Anteaters a 15-5 defeat that again ended in a mercy rule, this time after eight innings.

It was Cal Poly’s first win over Irvine in five meetings this season and now sets up one last head-to-head matchup at 3 p.m. on Sunday, with the winner earning the Big West’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.

Cal Poly holds on to beat Hawaii 2-1

No. 4 seed Hawaii struck early in the first game, scoring its only run in the first inning and quieting the Mustang fans momentarily.

Cal Poly eventually broke through in the fourth by scoring two runs, which proved to be just enough to extend their postseason.

After falling behind early in Friday’s 15-3 loss to UC Irvine, a deficit they never recovered from, the Mustangs defense made it a priority to stay competitive early against Hawaii. That started on the mound.

Cal Poly leaned heavily on its bullpen. Luke Kovach got the start, but sophomore left-hander Josh Morano carried the Mustangs through the middle innings.

Morano tossed 6-1/3 scoreless innings, his longest outing as a Mustang, and he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs since April 15.

With runners on first and second and one out in the ninth, Coach Larry Lee handed the ball to Jake Torres to hold the lead.

Torres induced a groundball for the second out, but the runners advanced to second and third. He then got Xaige Lancaster to ground out to second, ending the game and keeping the Mustangs’ season alive.

Cal Poly’s bats were unusually quiet, producing just four hits all game, an underwhelming performance for a lineup that has consistently delivered throughout the season and leads the Big West in hitting.

That was due to Hawaii’s pitching staff, which ranks second in the conference and was able to keep the Mustangs off balance for most of the afternoon.

It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the Mustangs showed signs of life at the plate, sparked by back-to-back singles from Ryan Fenn and Alejandro Garza to open the inning.

After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Nate Castellon delivered a sacrifice fly to score Fenn and tie the game. Moments later, Casey “Boogie” Murray Jr. knocked in Garza with an RBI single that gave Cal Poly the margin for victory.

From blowout to bounce back: Cal Poly forces winner-take-all finale

In the night game, with the season again on the line, Cal Poly’s bats came to life, turning a do-or-die run through the loser’s bracket into a shot at the Big West title.

UC Irvine jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Cal Poly responded with four runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings, building a 12-5 lead.

Cal Poly strung together quality at-bats and capitalized on a pair of UC Irvine miscues to erase the early deficit.

Daudet got the Mustangs on the board with an RBI single, and Fenn followed with a two-run hit to tie the game. An RBI single from Garza completed the four-run frame, shifting the momentum and giving Cal Poly a lead it wouldn’t give back.

Jack Collins put the finishing touches on the win with a two-run home run in the eighth inning.

Down 10 in the bottom of the eighth, UC Irvine had one final chance to extend the game, loading the bases with two outs.

But Chris Downs held his composure on the mound, inducing a ground ball out to end the game.

Big West Championship game on Sunday

By defeating UC Irvine for the first time this season, the Mustangs pushed their way into the Big West Championship game with everything on the line.

With one more win, Cal Poly will not only claim its second-ever Big West title but also secure an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, something the program hasn’t achieved since 2014.

For years, Cal Poly’s postseason hopes relied on at-large bids, often falling just short. But this time, after battling through the loser’s bracket and knocking off the tournament’s top seed, the Mustangs have put themselves in control of their own fate.

Tanner Sagouspe, Cal Poly’s right-handed pitcher, has yet to pitch in the Big West Tournament but is expected to take the mound in Sunday’s title game after a full week of rest. Cal Poly’s pitching depth has delivered in his absence, stepping up to shoulder the load and keep the Mustangs’ season alive.

Cal Poly and UC Irvine play Sunday at 3 p.m., where the winner gets an automatic berth to an NCAA Regional. The game will be televised on ESPN+.