Gauchos take opener of Blue-Green baseball series

So I guess he is human.

Mark Mathias has been the hottest hitter for Cal Poly lately, but he couldn’t quite make this play during the big Gaucho third inning. By Owen Main

On Friday night, Cal Poly ace Matt Imhof gave up seven runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings and UCSB claimed game-one of the three-game series 8-6. It was Imhof’s shortest outing of the season and the most runs he’s ever given up.

What’s more concerning for Cal Poly fans than the loss to their top-25 rival are rumblings of Imhof having a “minor” back injury. Imhof’s presence in the rotation as Cal Poly’s Friday starter is a huge deal. We’ll see how his back holds-up next week after making the flight to Hawai’i.

Cal Poly, currently ranked fifth in the country, was down 7-2 in the fifth inning, when Chris Hoo sent the third home run of the game over the left-field wall for a three-run home run that got the Mustangs within 7-5. Cal Poly would get to within 7-6 before UCSB scored the final run of the game in the top of the sixth inning.

One bright spot for Cal Poly was a few good innings of relief from Bryan Granger, a starter for the Mustangs last season. Granger could factor into the Mustangs’ plans if they get into an extended regional situation or if another pitcher were to miss time.

During their big rally against Imhof in the third inning, UCSB’s Robby Nesovic and Tyler Kuresa hit back-to-back home runs. On most calm nights, all three home runs that left the yard might have been knocked down by the Baggett Stadium chill. Instead, UCSB muscled-up and showed why they are among the top offensive teams in the nation.

Photos by Owen Main