SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Ninth-ranked Cal Poly erased an 8-2 deficit with a 13-run second-inning rally and went on to beat California 16-8 in the final game of a four-game non-conference series Monday afternoon in Baggett Stadium.
Both teams scored twice in the first inning and, after Cal put up a six-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the second, the Mustangs responded by sending 16 batters to the plate for 13 runs in the bottom of the second frame.
The inning took one hour, two minutes to complete. The two teams combined for 23 runs and 19 hits in the first two innings and just one run and five hits the rest of the way.
With the three-hour, 34-minute win, Cal Poly improves to 20-4, the fastest Mustang team to reach the 20-win mark since the uniform start date was instituted in 2008. Cal fell to 11-12.
Cal Poly won the series, three games to one, and have won six series of three games or more this season in addition to a split of a rain-shortened two-game series against Southern California. The Mustangs are 6-3 against Pac-12 teams this season.
Junior right-hander Michael Dingilian (1-0) earned his first victory as a Mustang, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings and allowing two hits with no walks and one strikeout. The loss went to Chris Muse-Fisher (0-1), who surrendered five runs and three hits in a third of an inning.
Both teams used five pitchers in the game and the starters were knocked out in the second inning.
Cal's six-run second-inning outburst was highlighted by center fielder Devin Pearson's two-run triple and a two-run single by second baseman Brenden Farney.
Cal Poly parlayed nine hits, two walks (both with the bases loaded) and a trio of hit batters. Senior left fielder Tim Wise twice was hit by a pitch in the inning and the big blows were a two-run double by senior catcher Chris Hoo and a two-run single by junior right fielder Nick Torres.
Torres and senior third baseman Jimmy Allen both drove in three runs while Hoo, sophomore designated hitter Brian Mundell and junior center fielder Jordan Ellis all knocked in a pair of runs.
Cal Poly's 14-hit offensive attack was paced by Torres and Ellis, both with three hits, and Allen and Hoo, who produced a pair of hits each. Sophomore second baseman Mark Mathias extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a second-inning single while Torres has hit in eight in a row.
Cal collected 10 hits, including a triple and two singles by third baseman Chris Paul. Farney added a single and double.
Cal Poly, which had an 18-game home winning streak stretching to the 2013 season come to an end Saturday night in an 8-3 loss to the Golden Bears, has won 20 of its past 24 home games and 83 of its last 107 Baggett Stadium contests (77 percent) going back to the final month of the 2010 season.
Cal Poly has won 10 of its past 11 games while Cal has lost seven of its past eight.
