Box Score SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The USF baseball team mounted its second ninth-inning rally of the series, but ended up coming one run short in a 7-6 loss at Cal Poly's Baggett Stadium on Sunday afternoon, giving the Mustangs the series sweep.
 
USF (2-11) got consecutive hits from Nico Giarratano and Allen Smoot to start the ninth before Blake Valley delivered an RBI single through the right side that cut the Cal Poly lead to 7-5. After pinch-hitter Manny Ramirez, Jr. struck out with runners on first and third and Beau Bozett popped up to the shortstop, Smoot came across on an errant throw from Cal Poly catcher Brett Barbier when Valley stole second with two outs, however that would be as close as USF would get as pinch-hitter Ross Puskarich went down swinging to end the game.
 
"It was just kind of sloppy early in the game," said head coach Nino Giarratano. "Compounded mistakes, and that's the frustrating part. The last four runs we gave up in the game, we just didn't make good pitches, and that's hard to take. Six of the seven runs we gave up today we didn't make them earn, while we had to earn every single run we got.
 
"Tip your hat to the offensive side. We put together some good at bats. We fell short one at bat, we fell short a couple pitches and we fell short one play. We're one or two plays away from winning two out of three."  
 
Thomas Ponticelli (0-1) took the loss for the Dons in relief, allowing three runs on three hits while walking two in his one inning of work.  
 
USF starter James Kannenberg went 4.2 innings en route to a no-decision in his first start of the season, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits while walking three and striking out five.
 
Smoot turned in a 3-for-3 day at the plate where he drove in a run and scored a run, while Valley went 3-for-5 with two RBI to help lead the USF offense. Harrison Bruce (2-for-5, RBI, R) and Giarratano (2-for-5, 2 R) collected multiple hits on the day as well.
 
Cal Poly (10-2) struck first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. The Mustangs loaded the bases behind a bloop single, an infield single chopped to shortstop and a two-out fielding error by third baseman Riley Helland. Kannenberg would walk the next two hitters on eight straight balls to allow Cal Poly to take a 2-0 lead.
 
The Mustangs took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third when John Schuknecht led off the inning by stroking a double down the left field line. Two batters later Schuknecht was knocked in by Cooper Moore's slow grounder off the end of the bat that snuck by the drawn in USF infield and rolled into right field.
 
USF finally got on the board in the top of the fifth when Ryan Matranga and Bruce each ripped RBI doubles down the left field line and Smoot picked up his first-career hit with a two-out, two-strike RBI single served into left field that tied the game at 3-3.
 
The tie didn't last long as Cal Poly put up a three-run inning in the bottom of the sixth behind an RBI single by Brett Barbier that skipped past shortstop Nico Giarratano and a two-run home run to straightaway center field off the bat of Schuknecht.
 
The Dons cut into the Cal Poly lead when Giarratano and Smoot delivered back-to-back two-out base hits in the top of the seventh and were followed by Valley's RBI single to left field that brought the tally to 6-4 in favor of the Mustangs.
 
A wild pitch by USF reliever Joey Carney with two outs and a runner at third in the bottom of the eighth gave Cal Poly what turned out to be the difference-making insurance run for the Mustangs.  
 
Thomas Triantos (1-0) picked up the win for Cal Poly in 1.2 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits while walking one and striking out two.
 
Barbier (2-for-5, R, RBI) and Schuknecht (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) paced the Mustangs offensively.
 
WEB GEMS: Harrison Bruce made a nice diving catch in left field with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the third. Bruce came on to snag a sinking liner hit right at him, preventing two runs from scoring... Beau Bozett made a diving catch of his own down the right field line with a runner on first with nobody out in the bottom of the eight.  
 
NOTES: Riley Helland got his first start at third base today and hit in the three hole in the lineup for the first time this year following a 3-for-3 night on Friday… Dan James started his first game of the season at first base… James Kannenberg made his first start on the mound after making four relief appearances coming into the day… Kannenberg's five strikeouts match his own mark (vs. Hawai'i, Feb. 28) for the most by a Don pitcher in an outing this year… Allen Smoot made his first-career appearance when he came in to play third base in the fourth inning.    
 
UP NEXT: The Dons return to the Bay Area this week for a Tuesday contest with Grand Canyon University at 7 p.m. That game was originally scheduled as a home date, but the ongoing renovations to Benedetti Diamond have required the game be moved to Santa Clara's Stephen Schott Stadium.