Cal Poly drops road game at UC Riverside
Mike Klan
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KEYT) – UC Riverside, powered by four home runs in a 15-hit offensive attack, defeated Cal Poly 10-4 to even its Big West baseball series against the Mustangs on Saturday at the Riverside Sports Complex.
One day after scoring 22 times on 25 hits, including five home runs, Coach Larry Lee’s Mustangs were held to just four runs and nine hits by senior southpaw Matthew O’Brien, who pitched UC Riverside’s first complete game since 2022.
O’Brien (2-3), who was 4-5 with the Highlanders a year ago after transferring from Hawaii-Hilo, walked two and struck out two for the victory, throwing 104 pitches. In 2025 at Baggett Stadium, O’Brien allowed the Mustangs five runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision.
The loss overshadowed a second straight four-hit game by Mustang second baseman Alejandro Garza, his third of the year and fifth of his collegiate career. He doubled once and singled three times, but the rest of the Cal Poly lineup could not drive him home.
Center fielder Casey Murray Jr. extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single leading off the fourth inning, but he was promptly picked off first base. Murray was one of just three Mustang leadoff batters to reach base Saturday.
Right fielder Cam Hoiland’s 12-game hitting streak came to a close in an 0-for-5 day at the plate.
After UC Riverside scored in the first inning, Cal Poly evened things up in the second when Dante Vachini’s fly ball to shallow left field was dropped for an error and Xander McLaurin scored Vachini with a double into left field.
UC Riverside grabbed the lead for good with a four-run third-inning rally highlighted by a solo home run from Lucas Bonham to go along with two singles and a pair of doubles.
It was 9-1 in favor of the Highlanders before Cal Poly produced its next run in the sixth on Ryan Tayman’s leadoff home run to left, his sixth of the year. Shortstop Nate Castellon’s first home run of the year, a two-run shot down the left-field line with two outs in the ninth, completed the scoring.
Left fielder Jarren Sanderson, who homered twice Friday, added another as well as a single and double Saturday and has eight RBIs for the series. Bonham also had three hits for the Highlanders.
Mustang starter Corden Pettey (2-2) gave up five runs on six hits over 2 1/3 innings in absorbing the loss.
Garza is the first Mustang since 2011 to produce back-to-back four-hit games. Shortstop Mike Miller had four hits against Oklahoma State on Feb. 27, 2011, and at Fresno State on March 1, 2011. McLaurin doubled twice Saturday for his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
Final game of the series is set for Sunday at 1:05 p.m. with redshirt junior right-hander Carson Turnquist (2-0, 1.85 ERA) of Cal Poly to face UC Riverside senior southpaw Jaxon Byrd (0-1, 5.14 ERA).
(Article Courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)