LOS ANGELES, Ca. – Virginia Tech’s NCAA Tournament run got off to a difficult start Friday night as Cal Poly used a steady offensive attack and strong pitching to defeat the Hokies 6-2 in the opening round of the Los Angeles Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
The third-seeded Mustangs collected 13 hits and built an early lead that Virginia Tech could not overcome, sending the second-seeded Hokies into an elimination game in the double-elimination regional.
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Cal Poly struck for two runs in the second inning before Virginia Tech answered with a run of its own. The Mustangs continued to add pressure, scoring in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to stretch their advantage to 6-1.
Cam Hoiland highlighted the Cal Poly offense with a solo home run in the third inning, while Casey Murray Jr. went 4-for-5 and drove in two runs. Ryan Tayman and Diego Vachini added multi-hit performances as the Mustangs finished with 13 hits.
Virginia Tech managed just six hits against Cal Poly starter Gavin Naess and the Mustang bullpen. Naess worked seven innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out nine.
The Hokies scored their second run in the seventh inning on a ground-ball double play, but they were unable to generate a late rally. Virginia Tech left eight runners on base and struck out 14 times.
With the victory, Cal Poly advanced to the regional winners’ bracket and improved to 37-22 on the season. The Mustangs moved on to face fourth-seeded St. Mary’s, which upset No. 1 overall seed UCLA 3-2 earlier Friday.
Virginia Tech fell to 30-25 and will face UCLA in an elimination game Saturday. The Hokies entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Los Angeles Regional after earning an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.