Cal Poly walks off Utah Valley in 11th inning of NCAA regional finale

EUGENE, Ore. — Utah Valley's program-record NCAA regional run came to a close Sunday evening in Eugene, Oregon.

Zach Daudet went 3-for-6 with two runs scored, including a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning, to help Cal Poly survive Utah Valley 7-6 in extra innings of an NCAA regional elimination game Sunday evening at PK Park at the University of Oregon.

Jayden Smith went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored for Utah Valley, and former Snow Canyon standout Landon Frei belted a grand slam for the Wolverines (33-29).

"I just wanted to find a way on base, get something started, and let my guys behind me in the end," said Daudet, the Mustangs' leadoff hitter, on the ESPN broadcast. "It definitely felt like the biggest (hit) of my life. It felt good, for sure."

Two days after dropping No. 12 Oregon into the elimination bracket of the Eugene regional, Utah Valley's own postseason ended by the Mustangs — the Big West champs who finished off the Ducks in Saturday's elimination game.

Cal Poly (34-28) advanced to face No. 21 Arizona in the Eugene regional final Sunday night. If the Mustangs win, a second winner-take-all final will be held Monday with a spot in the NCAA Super Regional at stake.

"I feel like this game kind of summed up what our season is," said Utah Valley coach Nate Rasmussen, who earned a contract extension through 2029 after winning the most games by a first-year head coach in program history. "Bunch of getting punched in the mouth and having to come back and just a lot of toughness. Really proud of this group."

He pointed to a shortstop with a "broken right hand, who's playing." While adding that he's got "a good group of guys.

"I feel very blessed that my first year as a head coach, I got this group of guys. Really, really proud of them and the standard they've set. We've continued to raise the bar and future groups have a lot to live up to now."

Cal Poly broke the deadlock in the bottom of the second when Dante Vachini ripped a double down the right-field line that scored Cam Hoiland from second.

But the Wolverines got them all back — and then some — in the top of the third. Frei's grand slam gave Utah Valley a 4-1 advantage with one swing of the bat, scoring Smith, Joseph Barnhardt and former Pine View standout Luke Iverson in turning the one-run deficit into a three-run advantage.

Still, the Mustangs didn't quit.

Hoiland pulled one back for Cal Poly with a solo shot during a five-run fourth. Ryan Fenn scored Vachini with an RBI single, and Daudet scored on a balk to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of the inning.

That set up Nate Castellon with a two-run double down the left-field line to put the Mustangs back in front.

Dominic Longo II added his own boom stick with a solo shot over the right-field fence in the top of the sixth, and Utah Valley tied the game at 6-6 when Smith doubled down the left-field line to score Iverson from first in the seventh.

"(Rasmussen) gave us a really good scouting report on (Cal Poly pitcher Chris Downs) and kind of just getting them up in the zone," Smith said of the hitters' success. "I went up there and was looking for a fastball I could drive to the right center field. That's kind of been my approach all season. I got a changeup that hung in the zone. I ended up putting a good swing on it."

After former Snow Canyon pitcher and Utah Tech transfer Carston Herman fanned two in the 10th, Daudet walked it off with his ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the 11th inning.

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