27-17, 8-5
Cal State Fullerton
26-19-1, 7-6
Mustangs Move into Second Place with Sweep of Cal State Fullerton
4/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Freshman righthander Sierra Hyland tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout and belted her team-leading sixth homer during the Cal Poly softball team's 6-0, series-opening win against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday and junior lefthander Chloe Wurst allowed just four hits in the second game as the Mustangs closed a doubleheader at Bob Janssen Field with a 2-1 triumph.
With the Saturday sweep, Cal Poly (28-17, 9-5) moved into a second-place tie in the Big West Conference standings alongside UC Santa Barbara (29-18, 9-5), which split an earlier two-game set against Hawai'i. Ten games over a .500 winning percentage for the first time since 2009, the Mustangs ensured their first winning season in five years with Saturday's sweep.
During Saturday's opening 6-0 triumph, Cal Poly required just three pitches to scratch out the eventual winning run as junior left fielder Emily Ceccacci followed senior shortstop Kim Westlund's (right) leadoff triple with a run-scoring single to left center.
Held hitless between the second and fourth innings, Cal Poly cushioned its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth as Westlund lashed a one-out double to right center to score senior infielders Jillian Andersen and Ashley Romano.
Hyland (22-7), meanwhile, was perfect against Cal State Fullerton through the first three innings and kept the Titans without a hit until second baseman Samantha Galarza singled to lead off the fifth. Hyland, who walked two, faced just four hitters over the minimum.
With six strikeouts during game No. 1, Hyland improved her season total to 237 and moved within 16 strikeouts of two-time All-American Desarie Knipfer's single season record of 253, established in 1997.
Offensively, Hyland led off Cal Poly's half of the sixth by powering her sixth homer over the left field fence. Senior catcher Mariah Cochiolo followed with a single before scoring through senior center fielder Lauren Moreno's first triple of 2014. Pinch hitting in the next spot in the lineup, freshman Kiersten Nordin earned her first collegiate hit and RBI by singling through the left side of the infield to score Moreno for the 6-0 final score.
During Saturday's 2-1 victory in the second game, Cal Poly once again grabbed an early lead as Westlund followed a four-pitch walk by Romano and a single from Andersen with a two-out, run-scoring base hit.
The Mustangs, who stranded 10 baserunners during game No. 2, went on to double their lead in the fifth. With one down, freshman right fielder Courtney Tyler doubled and after Titans starting righthander Monique Wesley (3-6) intentionally walked Hyland, Cochiolo singled up the middle to bring home Tyler for a 2-0 lead.
In the circle, Wurst (6-9) allowed just one Titan as far as third base until Cal State Fullerton third baseman Middy Taukeiaho hit her Big West-leading 15th homer with two out in the top of the seventh. Wurst, however, walked just three in the victory.
Winners of five successive games against Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly closes its three-game series with the Titans on Sunday, April 27 at 12 noon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hyland, Sierra (22-7)
L: Antunez, Jasmine (10-9)
Batting:
SH: Tsuchiyama, Ariel 1 ; Mario, Lauren 1
Base Running:
CS: Rubio, Jena 1
Batting:
2B: Westlund, Kim 1
3B: Westlund, Kim 1 ; Moreno, Lauren 1
HR: Hyland, Sierra 1
RBI: Westlund, Kim 2 ; Ceccacci, Emily 1 ; Hyland, Sierra 1 ; Moreno, Lauren 1 ; Nordin, Kiersten 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Westlund, Kim 1 ; Hyland, Sierra 1 ; Cochiolo, Mariah 1 ; Moreno, Lauren 1 ; Romano, Ashley 1 ; Andersen, Jillian 1
