22-16, 4-5
UC Davis
14-25, 3-6
Mustang Softball Team Blanks UC Davis in Series Finale, 6-0
4/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Freshman righthander Sierra Hyland struck out seven UC Davis batters in a complete-game, three-hit shutout as the Cal Poly softball program snapped a four-game slide with a 6-0 triumph against UC Davis in the series finale between the sides at Bob Jansen Field.
Hyland (19-7), who retired the first 10 UC Davis hitters of the game, faced just four Aggies over the minimum and tossed 74 percent of her 106 pitches for strikes. Threatened just once after UC Davis placed runners at the corner bases with two outs in the fourth, Hyland struck out catcher Lauryn Saunders to get out of the jam.
Just the second Cal Poly pitcher in program history with 200-plus strikeouts in one season, Hyland ranks second in team single-season history in shutouts (nine), third in victories (19) and strikeouts (208), fifth in innings pitched (187.2) and sixth in ERA (1.53) and complete games (20).
Cal Poly (22-16, 4-5), which dropped both ends of Saturday's series-opening doubleheader against UC Davis (14-25, 3-6), pushed across Sunday's eventual winning run in the bottom of the second. After leading off with double, freshman right fielder Courtney Tyler reached third through a Hyland sacrifice bunt. Two Mustangs later, senior designated player Shea Williams lofted a sacrifice fly to right field that brought home Tyler.
The Mustangs then put the game away in the fourth. With one out, senior second baseman Ashley Romano singled to load the bases and, two spots in the lineup later, senior center fielder Lauren Moreno drew a four-pitch walk to force home senior pinch runner Cami Brown. Three pitches later, Saunders was cited on a catcher's interference call – an obstruction that brought in Romano. Junior left fielder Emily Ceccacci – Cal Poly's leading hitter at .378 (48-for-127) – followed with a two-run single to put the Mustangs up 5-0.
Cal Poly capped the scoring in the sixth with Hyland singling up the middle to plate Ceccacci.
Eight of the nine hitters in Cal Poly's starting lineup on Sunday finished with at least one hit.
The Mustangs continue action when visiting Hawai'i for a three-game April 18-19 series.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hyland, Sierra (19-7)
L: Reynolds, Andrea (3-5)
Batting:
2B: Tyler, Courtney 1
RBI: Moreno, Lauren 1 ; Westlund, Kim 1 ; Ceccacci, Emily 2 ; Hyland, Sierra 1 ; Williams, Shea 1
SH: Hyland, Sierra 1
SF: Williams, Shea 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moreno, Lauren 1 ; Ceccacci, Emily 1 ; Tyler, Courtney 1 ; Brown, Cami 1 ; Romano, Ashley 1 ; Andersen, Jillian 1
HBP: Ceccacci, Emily 1
