Junior right-hander Bobby Ay scattered three hits over six innings for his first victory of the 2019 season and sophomore third baseman Nick DiCarlo delivered a tie-snapping two-run single as Cal Poly defeated Baylor 3-1 in the middle game of a three-game non-conference baseball series Saturday afternoon inside Baylor Ballpark.
Ay (1-0) who struggled in his two previous starts on the road, held the once 12th-ranked Bears to just one unearned run and struck out three while Dylan Villalobos and Michael Clark secured the final nine outs – Clark earning his second save – as the Mustangs improved to 7-10 on the year.
Baylor (12-5), who was hitting .318 as a team entering the weekend series, has collected just nine hits in the first two games of the series.
Sophomore first baseman Tate Samuelson produced his third three-hit game of the year with three singles as Cal Poly outhit Baylor 8-6. Freshman designated hitter Noah Taylor added two singles.
Cal Poly scored a run in the first inning on Taylor’s RBI single to right field. It was a two-out rally as the Mustangs loaded the bases following two grounders to second base prior to Taylor’s run-scoring single.
Baylor tied the game in the fifth following a Mustang error and Cal Poly wasted no time breaking the deadlock in the sixth as DiCarlo, at the plate for the second time with the bases loaded in the game, smashed a line-drive single to left field to score two.
Ay pitched the bottom of the sixth before giving way to the bullpen. In his first two starts on the road this year against Oklahoma and Washington, Ay only went four innings with an 11.25 ERA.
Villalobos recorded four outs, three via strikeout, and Clark notched the final five outs for the save.
Baylor’s six hits included a double and single by left fielder Cole Haring.
The loss went to Jacob Ashkinos (0-1), the second of four Baylor pitchers, as he surrendered the two runs in the sixth inning.
Final game of the series will be played Sunday at 11:05 a.m. Pacific with sophomore right-hander Darren Nelson (1-2, 0.78 ERA) on the mound for Cal Poly. Baylor’s starter has not been announced.
–Provided by Cal Poly
