Cal Poly’s magical season ends after another West Virginia blowout

For a brief moment, Cal Poly had a lead in Game 2 of its Super Regional series against West Virginia.

Then the wheels fell off. And then they fell off again. And again.

By the time the top of the second inning ended, the Mountaineers led 7-1.

After the third, it was 10-1. After the fourth, 12-1. After the fifth, 14-1.

The loss ended Cal Poly’s magical season, the team finishing with a 39-24 record, while advancing farther into the NCAA playoffs than any Mustang team before them.

When it was all said and done, the score was XX-X, and West Virginia had literally run Cal Poly out of the stadium, earning a trip to the College World Series while Cal Poly headed home.

The game started well for Cal Poly, when the Mustangs combined singles by Nate Castellon and Dylan Kordic with a sacrifice fly by Ryan Tayman to get on the board first.

But then, West Virginia opened the second with a Matthew Graveline bloop double that just caught the line in right field. Cal Poly challenged the call, but it stood up.

Graveline promptly stole third, Matt Ineich walked, and then the pair pulled off a double steal, tying the game at 1-1.

Ben Lumsden then homered 362 feet to left field, and before starter Carson Turnquist had even recorded an out, the game was 4-1.

Tyrus Hall then went back to back with a home run of his own, and the Mountaineers added three more, ending Turnquist’s day prematurely with a line of one inning pitched and six runs allowed.

Cal Poly then turned to Chris Downs, who gave up another six runs, and Corden Pettey, who was charged with four.

For the second straight day, Cal Poly’s starting pitching struggled to settle in and forced the bullpen into action early. In the Los Angeles Regional, the Mustangs relied on its pitching staff to set the tone and carry them through the weekend.

Without the same command on the mound, Cal Poly was forced to play from behind early. West Virginia never gave them much of a chance to recover.

Everything the Mustangs could have asked for went wrong.

Pickoff attempts turned into successful steals. Mountaineer fly balls caught a powerful wind and sailed out of the park. Even the weather was against the Mustangs when a storm barreled and held up play in the top of the eighth inning, extending Cal Poly’s suffering.

The Mustangs gave up just five runs throughout the entire the Los Angeles Regional. In two games against West Virginia, they surrendered 29.

Cal Poly’s nightmare trip to Morgantown began Friday with a 12-2 loss that also got out of hand early, but the Super Regional disappointment won’t erase what was an inspiring postseason run that saw the Mustangs win the Big West Championship for the second straight year.

Then they swept the Los Angeles Regional with lock-down pitching that gave up only five runs over three games, advancing to the Super Regionals for the first time in program history.

But it’s West Virginia who will be making the trip to Omaha, Nebraska, for the first time in that program’s history.