Kirk Singer had just one RBI as a Dirtbag before Saturday’s game started. Now he has eight.
The freshman infielder had seven RBIs — the most in 11 years for the Dirtbags — including the game-winning single with the bases loaded in the ninth to carry LBSU to a 13-12 victory in front of 1,375 at Blair Field.
With its large dimensions and the marine layer that usually hangs over it, Blair is not known for being a hitter’s paradise. Saturday was not your typical LBSU home game.
The Dirtbags (25-25, 11-9 Big West Conference) outlasted the 18th-ranked Cal Poly Mustangs (34-17, 12-8 Big West) in a game that featured 25 runs, 30 hits and saw each team come back from a five-run deficit.
LBSU was ahead 7-2 after two innings, down 12-7 in the sixth but poured six across late to earn the win.
Just a week ago, the Dirtbags were 24-20 and hoping to win their series against UCSB to bolster their playoff chances. After five straight losses all but took them out of postseason contention, their pride kicked in Saturday afternoon as they stormed back to win the game.
“There were a lot of heroes,” head coach Mike Weathers said. “We obviously shot ourselves a little bit early. To get a seven-run lead early and not be able to hold it is disappointing but boy that’s a good feeling,” he said of the comeback.
In the ninth, the Dirtbags got back-to-back errors to start their rally. Taylor Krick hit a ball hard to first and when Wes Dorrell went to field it, he threw it low and Krick was safe when Eric Massingham dropped it.
Kellen Hoime tried to bunt him over but Massingham threw the ball into center field and both runners were safe. Tre Dennis sacrificed the runners to second and third and pinch-hitter John Hill was walked intentionally to load the bases and set the stage for Singer to be the hero.
After appearing to be hit by a 2-1 pitch, Singer worked the count full and hit a single past left side of second base against a drawn in Mustang infield, sending Krick home and the Dirtbags players and fans into a frenzy.
“I wasn’t going to get beat with a fastball,” Singer said of the 3-2 pitch.
When asked about two potential hit by pitches in the at-bat, including one that drew an appeal and a conference by the umpires, he said with a laugh, “The first one got me, but that’s kind of a boring way to go.”
His heroics and his game were anything but boring, especially for a guy touted for his defense and only in the lineup due to injuries.
“I just got lucky, Singer said. “I was put in the right spot at the right time. [I’ve] been waiting to take advantage of that opportunity for a while now so I’m happy that it worked out.”
David Born (2-0) got the win in relief after retiring two batters with two on in the ninth.
Massingham (7-2) was the tough luck loser for Cal Poly, surrendering Singer’s game-winning hit after the two errors.
The Dirtbags tied the game at 12 in the seventh after getting three straight hits to start the frame. TJ Mittelstaedt crushed a double off the right-center field wall, went to third on a bunt single by Krick and scored on a single by Hoime.
After a sacrifice and a strikeout, Singer came through again when he hit a two-out single through the hole between third and short to even the score.
Jordan Casas and Krick each added three hits and two RBIs for the Dirtbags.
Cal Poly jumped out to an early first inning lead. After Ryan Lee worked a leadoff walk, he went to second on a sacrifice and scored on a single from Adam Buschini. Dorrell doubled to right to bring in Buschini and give the Mustangs a 2-0 edge.
But the Dirtbags came storming back in their half of the second. The first three batters all reached as Krick singled, Hoime was hit by a pitch and Dennis walked.
After Trever Blood struck out, Singer unloaded the bases on a full-count pitch by doubling into the left field corner to give LBSU a 3-2 lead. The Dirtbags were far from done.
Casas doubled to left-center to score Singer and after a groundout moved him to third, he scored on a two-out single to left from Devin Lohman.
Mittelstaedt singled to move Lohman to third and both would score on a double by Krick — his second hit of the inning — to give the Dirtbags a 7-2 lead.
But LBSU went hitless again until the sixth and Cal Poly’s offense kept plugging away.
The Mustangs got four back in the third, highlighted by a Ross Brayton single that plated Bobby Crocker to make it a 7-6 game and ended starting pitcher Jake Thompson’s day.
Cal Poly took the lead again in the sixth with six more runs as things unraveled for the Dirtbags.
Dustin Rasco came in for Anthony Carrillo and back-to-back line drives to center from Crocker and Brayton both fell just in front of a diving Casas, as three more runs came across for the Mustangs.
LBSU made it a 12-9 game in the bottom of the sixth with two runs of their own. Dennis singled to lead off the inning and went to second on Blood’s walk. Both moved up on a double steal. Dennis scored on a sacrifice fly from Singer, while Blood scored on a triple by Casas — his third hit in four at-bats.
Both starters were roughed up in the game as Thompson (2 2/3 IP, six hits and six runs) and Matt Leonard (5 IP, eight hits, nine runs) both received no-decisions for LBSU and Cal Poly, respectively.
Sunday’s rubber match will begin at 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day for the Dirtbags and freshman Andrew Gagnon (3-5, 5.56 ERA) will square off against Mason Radeke (5-1, 5.62 ERA).