Mustangs Rally to Top Cal State Northridge in Nine Innings

Sunday, March 30

12 pm

20-12, 2-1

Cal State Northridge

23-13, 1-2

Cal State Northridge

Cal Poly

Mustangs Rally to Top Cal State Northridge in Nine Innings

3/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Senior center fielder Lauren Moreno's seventh-inning, inside-the-park home run sent the Cal Poly softball team's Sunday matchup versus Cal State Northridge to extra innings and senior shortstop Kim Westlund's two-out, run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth won it as the Mustangs outlasted Cal State Northridge in the series finale at Bob Janssen Field, 6-5.

Freshman righthander Sierra Hyland (17-5) struck out six and conceded just two earned runs in the victory for Cal Poly (20-12, 2-1), which won its first extra-inning game since topping Fresno State 4-3 in 10 innings on April 9, 2012 (the Mustangs had lost their last six extra-inning games).

Trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, Cal Poly received a run-scoring triple from junior left fielder Emily Ceccacci and a one-out sacrifice fly by senior catcher Mariah Cochiolo to slice Cal State Northridge's lead to a solitary run.

After upping Cal State Northridge's lead to 5-3 in the top of the seventh with a two-out, run-scoring single, Matador shortstop Taylor Nate returned in the bottom half of the inning to glance a line drive from Mustang senior second baseman Ashley Romano off her glove. With Romano on and one down, Moreno (top) sent a shot down the right field line and past the onrushing Kaitlin Toerner. The ball bounced to the wall and both Romano and Moreno scored ahead of the outfield throw.

Two innings later, senior right fielder Cami Brown led off the bottom half of the ninth with a double down the left field line. A Romano sacrifice bunt slid Brown to third and, two batters later, Westlund lofted her game-winning single into center field to hand Cal Poly victory.

Hyland, who started the game and failed to allow a Cal State Northridge baserunner during her final two innings of relief work, walked just two hitters on Sunday to earn her seventh victory in her last eight starts. During the three-game series against Cal State Northridge, which included a Saturday split, Hyland compiled a 1.08 ERA in 26 innings.

Cal Poly hits the road for the first time in Big West play when visiting Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara for a three-game April 5-6 series.