Pacific
Mustangs Downed Twice in Extra Innings by Pacific
5/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Cal Poly softball team scored four times with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to send the opening game of a Friday afternoon doubleheader versus Pacific into extra innings before ultimately falling in 10 innings, 6-4. During a second game that witnessed three lead changes, the Mustangs saw an early four-run lead eviscerated and dropped a 9-8 decision in eight innings at Bob Janssen Field.
With its pair of victories, Pacific (37-16, 16-4) – which entered Friday's doubleheader leading Long Beach State (37-15, 15-5) by a single game atop the conference standings – captured the first Big West championship in program history. The Tigers also earned the Big West's automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
The Mustangs (10-36, 6-14) will complete their 2011 schedule with a 12 noon single game versus Pacific on Saturday, May 14. Prior to the contest, Cal Poly will honor outgoing seniors Anna Cahn and Stephanie Correia for their contributions to the program.
During Friday's opening game, the Mustangs were held to just two hits through the opening six innings by Pacific starting righthander Nikki Armagost (19-9). However, Mustang sophomore third baseman Shea Williams opened the seventh with a walk before freshman second baseman Jillian Andersen singled. With two down, Correia walked to load the bases ahead of Cahn, who drew a five-pitch walk to force home Andersen. The next Mustang, sophomore righthander Rebecca Patton (8-20), singled to plate junior left fielder Nora Sobczak and cut Cal Poly's deficit to 4-2.
With the bases still loaded, Lund (above) grounded a pitch to Pacific shortstop Megan Allen, who sailed a throw past Tigers first baseman Nicole Matson. The errant throw allowed Cal Poly freshman pinch runner Mariah Cochiolo and Correia to reach home and deadlock the game at 4-4.
During the extra three innings, however, Cal Poly failed to advance a runner past first base and Pacific produced the game-winning runs during the top of the 10th with Matson and Armagost posting successive run-scoring doubles.
The double was Matson's second of game No. 1 after a fourth-inning shot scored two Tigers and boosted Pacific's early lead to 4-0.
During Friday's nightcap, Cal Poly erased a single run by Pacific during the top of the first by scoring twice in the bottom of the inning after a Patton groundout scored freshman shortstop Ashley Romano and Lund produced a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield to bring home freshman pinch runner Cami Brown.
Cal Poly added two more runs during the second as Correia singled into center to plate Sobczak and Williams. A run-scoring hit by Sobczak during the third then furthered Cal Poly's lead to 5-1.
The Tigers, however, required just the next half-inning to deadlock the scoreline. Center fielder Megan Hom and left fielder Megan Foglesong opened Pacific's reply by drawing successive one-out walks with the bases loaded to force home, respectively second baseman Alexa Rivera and right fielder Lindsey Pierce. Armagost then squared the matchup with a two-run single down the left field line.
Cal Poly grabbed a brief 6-5 lead during the bottom of the fourth as Lund followed Correia's inning-opening double with a run-scoring single.
Pacific, however, notched single runs during the fifth and sixth and, despite a two-RBI double by Lund during the bottom of the sixth, added another solitary run in the seventh to send a second-consecutive game to extra innings. A sacrifice fly by Rivera in the top half of the eighth accounted for the winning margin.
Lund finished with a career-high four RBI in game No. 2 for Cal Poly.
