NO. 20 CAL POLY STIFLES NO. 17 IRISH BASEBALL, 6-3

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly senior pitcher Joey Wagman tossed his first
career complete game and struck out a career-best 12 to lead the No. 20 Mustangs
past No. 17 Notre Dame, 6-3, Thursday Night from Baggett Stadium. Cal Poly improved
to 15-2 on the season, while the Irish dropped to 10-5.

Notre Dame appeared to have Wagman (4-0) on the ropes in the early innings. Three of
the first five Irish batters reached base on the right-handed hurler and Notre Dame
collected five hits over the first 2.2 innings, including RBI singles from sophomore
DH Phil Mosey and junior 3B All-American candidate Eric Jagielo, as well as an RBI
double from junior 1B All-American candidate Trey Mancini, to grab a 3-1 lead, but
the two-run advantage was rather short lived.

Cal Poly answered with five runs of its own in the bottom of the third, thanks in
part to some suspect Irish defense and a three-run home run off the bat of Brian
Mundell, to grab a 5-3 advantage.

Peter Van Gansen opened the inning with a ground ball that Notre Dame freshman SS
Lane Richards was unable to field cleanly and reached on an infield single. Denver
Chavez followed with a single to left field that sophomore Ryan Bull misplayed into
a two-base error. The single rolled underneath Bull’s glove, and rolled all the way
to the warning track, which allowed Van Gansen to circle the bases and score from
first, while Chavez raced all the way to third base.

Just like that, Notre Dame’s lead was cut to a run, 3-2, and then Jimmy Allen
followed with an RBI single to tie the game, 3-3. After Irish starter Sean
Fitzgerald (1-1) got Nick Torres to fly out, Mundell hammered a fast ball over the
left field wall for his team-best fifth round tripper of the season.

The 6-3 lead was more than enough for Wagman. He proceeded to retire the next seven
Irish hitters before Mancini collected a one-out single in the top of the sixth
inning. Wagman was unfazed and once again retired seven consecutive batters before a
two-out double in the eighth by Jagielo. He struck out Mancini to end that inning
and cruised through the ninth as well.

Wagman retired 19 of the final 21 batters of the game, including nine by strikeout.
He improved to 4-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 3.27. Wagman allowed three
runs, all earned, on seven hits, but only two hits after the third inning.

Fitzgerald was charged with the loss and saw his streak of three consecutive quality
starts end. He dropped to 1-1 on the year. Fitzgerald allowed six runs, all earned,
on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work. He fanned two and walked one.

Sophomore RHP Matt Ternowchek, sophomore RHP Cristian Torres and junior RHP Donnie
Hissa combined to throw 4.2 scoreless innings of relief. Ternowchek did not allow a
run over 3.1 innings, while Torres (0.1 IP) and Hissa (1.0 IP) got the final four
outs of the contest.

Senior 2B Frank DeSico, Jagielo and Mancini had two hits apiece. DeSico had a
single, triple and run scored. Jagielo had a RBI single, run scored and double,
while Mancini scored a run and added an RBI double.

Notre Dame returns to action at 6 p.m. PT Friday when it sends senior RHP Adam
Norton to the mound in hopes of evening the series with No. 20 Cal Poly.