If at first you don't succeed ...

Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee on Saturday said he will likely stick with Eric Massingham as his starting pitcher for Friday’s Big West Conference baseball game at UC Irvine despite the sophomore’s struggles in last week’s loss to Cal State Northridge.
The right-hander didn’t make it out of the second inning in his debut as a starter, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks.
It was the second time in six days a Cal Poly starter failed to get out of the second inning of a conference series opener. Frankie Reed struggled in the same role at Pacific.
Massingham, who was ineligible for the nonconference portion of the schedule, is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in eight innings. He has pitched 24.2 innings in his career with 12 of his 13 appearances coming as a reliever.
Mustangs pitching coach Jason Kelly said he likes the former De La Salle standout as a starter because he is well rounded and can usually rely on at least three different pitches on a given day.
Cal Poly is hoping Massingham is better adjusted to the starting role the second time around and can overcome any first-inning jitters, which seems to be a problem for the entire pitching staff. The team’s emerging ace, Thomas Eager, gave up five runs in the first inning Saturday when the Mustangs bounced back to win the finale and the series against the Matadors.