SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. --- UC Irvine struggled in the series finale at Cal Poly Sunday afternoon letting in a season-high 17 runs in a loss to the Mustangs at Baggett Stadium.
The trouble started early as Cal Poly (28-22, 9-9) scored four times in the first inning on just one hit. Three walks and three errors were mostly to blame for the early hole as all four runs against starter Cameron Bishop were unearned.
The Anteaters (28-21, 8-10) fought back the next half inning chopping the lead in half with run-scoring hits from Parker Coss and Evan Cassolato.
The Mustangs would then go on a tear scoring the game's next 13 runs over the next four innings highlighted by a seven-run fifth inning.
The first three hitters of the inning reached setting up John Schuknecht to pounce on the first pitch he saw and deposit it over the left field fence for a grand slam. After a pitching change, Nick Meyer scalded the first pitch he saw for back-to-back homers stretching the lead to 11. CP continued to pelt the ball around the yard adding two more for a 15-2 advantage after the inning.
UCI finally showed some offensive life in the seventh trailing by 15 at that point Adam Alcantara and Cole Kreuter teamed up for run-scoring hits before a Jake Hazard double play put an end to the rally. A single run in the eighth completed the scoring finishing the ballgame and series for Cal Poly with a 17-5 win.
Mustang starter Justin Calomeni, who had worked as the closer this season for them, performed beautifully striking out a career-high 11 batters allowing just two runs over six innings to pick up his fourth win. Bobby Ay cleaned up for the save after tossing the final three innings.
Anteater starter Cameron Bishop was tagged with the loss, his fifth, allowing six runs, two earned, through three innings. He labred to 85 pitches walking four and striking out five along the way.
The Anteater bullpen, normally effective, was responsible for 11 earned runs on the afternoon and giving up three home runs.
Schuknecht finished with six RBIs, and was joined by Meyer and Brett Barbier on the home run list. Alex McKenna led off and had three hits, and he along with five other Mustangs scored multiple times including Barbier and Michael Sanderson who each crossed home three times.
The 17 runs allowed were the most since 2009 in the Baton Rouge Super Regional. It's the most since 2002 in a regular season game. It is also the third inning allowing as many as seven runs in it, all coming on the road.
The setback further drops the 'Eaters in the Big West standings now with an 8-10 recird, 28-21 overall. UCI does finish up their road circuit finishing the season with all seven games at home starting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with the final non-conference game of the season against USC.
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