SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – After setting the program record for most runs scored against a Division I opponent, the Mustangs added another accolade to the books as Griffin Naess and the bullpen led Cal Poly’s 3-1 victory to secure the first series win over a Big-10 team in the program’s Division I history.
Naess took the mound Monday evening for a spot-start in the series finale against Ohio State. The true freshman previously pitched 3 ? innings in relief during the victory against Pepperdine last week that kicked off the Mustangs’ first win streak of 2024.
Ohio State had no answers for the 6-foot-6 righty’s offerings as Naess went 5 innings of scoreless baseball while allowing a measly 3 hits. Naess’ stellar outing allowed Cal Poly to get an early second-inning 3-0 lead that persisted as a pair of innings each from relievers Jake Torres and Tanner Sagouspe yielded just one run and three more hits.
Naess would be credited with the win, now standing at a 2-0 record, as Sagouspe was awarded his third save of the season.
After Naess topped the first inning with a 1-2-3 effort against the Buckeyes, seemingly giving a sign of things to come. Jake Steels then wasted no time kick-starting the offense.
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Steels’ wheels led off the bottom of the frame with a speedy triple to immediately put the Mustangs in prime scoring position. Ryan Stafford grounded out to the pitcher as the very next batter, still managing to get Steels across home plate as Cal Poly took the 1-0 lead.
Just as Steels led off the first, Dylan Kordic doubled to center field in the bottom of the second, giving Cal Poly another RISP opportunity, which Evan Cloyd turned into runners in the corners with his single to left field.
Aaron Casillas, in similar fashion to Stafford’s RBI, reached on a fielder’s choice, allowing Kordic to seal Cal Poly’s second run. Casillas then took second base after a wild pitch and rounded the bases entirely on a throwing error in Liam MacDonald at-bat. With that, the Mustangs proceeded with a commanding 3-0 lead.
After the Mustangs jumped ahead so early, Ohio State battened down the hatches and allowing just 3 more Cal Poly hits through the final seven innings, with just a single RISP during the third inning.
While the offense was battling the Buckeye pitching, Naess and co. were shutting down the opposition at every turn despite a few close calls. Ohio State kicked off the fifth inning with a double, but Naess K’d two of the next three batters to slam the door shut, ending his night with an exclamation.
The Buckeyes had one final push in the eighth when they turned a double into a fly out and subsequent ground out that rounded the baserunner before the Mustangs could wrap up the inning. However, Sagouspe sealed his save with a three-up, three-down inning in which he struck out the third batter decisively.
At a record of 5-3 in March since starting the season 2-5, the Mustangs have one final dress rehearsal against UNLV in a Wednesday midweek contest before welcoming CSUN for the conference opening Friday-Sunday series.
