May 14, 2010
Box Score
DAVIS, Calif. - Cal Poly's Bobby Crocker capped off a 2-for-6 performance with a two-RBI single up the middle in the 12th inning to give the Mustangs a 6-4 extra inning victory over UC Davis at Dobbins Stadium Friday.
With the win, Cal Poly improves to 16-29 overall and own a 7-12 Big West Conference mark while UC Davis now stands at 20-25 on the year and is 4-12 in league play.
Sophomore righty Jeff Johnson pitched 4.2 innings of relief for the Mustangs and did not give up an earned run as he earned the win to move to 3-3.
CJ Blom struck out two and walked four, but the two runs scored off Crocker's hit in the 12th were attributed to Blom who now stands at 1-3 on the season.
The game began as a pitcher's battle as UC Davis starter Dayne Quist and Cal Poly's Matt Leonard each moved swiftly through the batting order.
After giving up a walk in the first inning, Quist kept the Mustangs hitless through the first three innings and gave up only one earned run in seven innings of work. Despite walking five, the sophomore lefty struck out four and gave up only four hits.
Similarly, Leonard struck out five Aggie batters and retired the first seven he faced until Scott Heylman hit a single up the middle in the third inning. Leonard gave up four runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits in 7.1 innings on the mound.
UC Davis' first run of the game came in the fourth inning as Seth Batty led off with a single down the right field line then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Justin Schafer. Scott Lyman's base hit allowed Batty to score to give UC Davis a 1-0 advantage.
The Aggies continued to hold the Mustangs until the sixth inning when Melker's lead off single got him safely to first base. Melker then advanced to third on a base hit by Crocker and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mitch Haniger to tie the score at one run apiece.
Lyman gave the lead back to UC Davis with a deep two-run homer over the left center field wall to score David Popkins who reached base after he singled through the left side.
In the eighth inning, sophomore Nathan Slater would replace Quist on the mound, but gave up a single, a wild pitch and a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Cal Poly's J.J. Thompson's sacrifice bunt advanced both runners and UC Davis would bring in right hander Matthew Lewis in an attempt to close out the inning.
Lewis, however, gave up two wild pitches which allowed two runs to score to tie the score at four runs each.
UC Davis reclaimed a 5-4 lead briefly as Schafer's shallow single into right field landed him on second base after Crocker was unable to field the ball cleanly. Popkins would bring Schafer home on an RBI single.
Lewis returned to the game in the ninth, but walked Luke Yoder then gave up a single to Melker. Yoder would score the equalizer off a fielder's choice by Crocker. With two outs and nobody on, Lewis hit Haniger with a pitch, then gave up a hit to Ross Brayton to put runners on first and second before being replaced by Blom who struck out the final batter of the inning to get UC Davis out of the jam.
Johnson would retire the side, however, to force extra innings.
Neither team would score until the top of the 12th when Cal Poly would capitalize off UC Davis' pitching struggles. Denver Chavez led off with a walk then advanced to second on a passed ball. UC Davis would strike out Yoder, but Melker walked to put two men on with only one out. Chavez and Melker both advanced bases after a wild pitch from Scott Heinig, which set up Crocker's single up the middle. Chavez and Melker would score to give Cal Poly the 6-4 lead.
UC Davis nearly tied the game again, starting with Eric Johnson's leadoff single to right field in the bottom half of the inning. Heylman would fly out to right field, but Joseph Medeiros would keep UC Davis alive with a single through the right side which moved Johnson to second base. Despite a strike out from Batty, both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball and Jeff Johnson loaded the bases by intentionally walking Schafer with two outs. Pinch hitter Daniel Cepin would fly out to right field to end the UC Davis threat and the game.
Lyman went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a two-run homerun to lead UC Davis. Eric Johnson also went 2-for-5 while Popkins was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
For Cal Poly, Melker was 3-for-4 with two runs and a double while Brayton was 3-for-4 with a run and a stolen base.
Cal Poly stranded 18 batters on base throughout the game.
The Aggies and the Mustangs return to Dobbins Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m. for the second game of the series.
Cal Poly (16-29, 7-12) 000 001 021 002 - 6 11 3
UC Davis (20-25, 4-12) 000 102 010 000 - 4 10 1
Matt Leonard, Jeff Johnson (8) and Jordan Hadlock, Ross Brayton (9), Elliot Stewart (9); Dayne Quist, Nathan Slater (8), Matthew Lewis (8), CJ Blom (9), Scott Heinig (12) and Scott Kalush, Joseph Medeiros (11). WP - Johnson (3-3). LP - Blom (1-3). Save - none.
HITTERS - Cal Poly: Adam Melker, 3x4, 2B; Bobby Crocker, 2x6, 3 RBI; Mitch Haniger, 1x5, RBI; Ross Brayton, 3x4; David Van Ostrand, 1x3; Denver Chavez, 1x5. UC Davis: Seth Batty, 1x6; Justin Schafer, 1x3; David Popkins, 2x4, RBI; Scott Lyman, 2x5, 3 RBI, HR; Eric Johnson, 2x5; Scott Heylman, 1x5; Joseph Medeiros, 1x1.
