28-18, 9-6
Cal State Fullerton
27-20-1, 8-7
Errors Hurt Cal Poly in 5-3 Loss to Cal State Fullerton
4/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Freshman righthander Sierra Hyland allowed just one earned run and struck out four Cal State Fullerton batters on Sunday afternoon, but the Mustang softball program committed a season-high four errors – including three in the second inning – and dropped a 5-3 series finale decision to the Titans at Bob Janssen Field.
Cal Poly (28-18, 9-6), which entered Sunday's game tied for a second place in the Big West Conference standings alongside UC Santa Barbara (30-18, 10-5), fell into third with the loss. With six games remaining in the regular season, Cal Poly trails Big West-leading Long Beach State (36-13, 13-2) by four games entering the May 3-4, three-game series between the two programs at 49er Softball Complex.
Trailing for the first time during the series, Cal Poly conceded Sunday's opening run in the top of the first inning as Titans second baseman Samantha Galarza singled up the middle to score third baseman Missy Taukeiaho.
The Mustangs answered immediately during the bottom half of the first. Senior shortstop Kim Westlund drew a four-pitch walk to lead off before junior left fielder Emily Ceccacci – laying down a bunt – reached on a fielding error Taukeiaho. Freshman right fielder Courtney Tyler then reached on a throwing error by starting righthander Monique Wesley (4-6) – a miscue that allowed Westlund to score. Two batters later, senior catcher Mariah Cochiolo (top) singled up the middle to bring home Ceccacci and Tyler for a 3-1 lead.
Cal State Fullerton, however, reasserted itself in the top of the second – first through a one-out, run-scoring single down the left field line by left fielder Leesa Harris. Four batters later and with the bases loaded, the Mustangs saw senior second baseman Ashley Romano drop potential inning-ending pop outs during consecutive at-bats – a pair of miscues that contributed to three Titan runs and a 5-3 Cal State Fullerton lead.
Hyland and the Mustangs recovered to retire the next eight Titans in order but, beginning in the bottom of the second, Cal Poly collected just two more hits the remainder of the day.
Cal Poly's three-game series at Long Beach State begins with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, May 3.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wesley, Monique (4-6)
L: Hyland, Sierra (22-8)
Batting:
RBI: Galarza, Samantha 1 ; Harris, Leesa 1
SH: Tsuchiyama, Ariel 1
SF: Mario, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Taukeiaho, Missy 2 ; Tsuchiyama, Ariel 1 ; Rubio, Jena 1 ; Harris, Leesa 1
HBP: Tsuchiyama, Ariel 2
Batting:
RBI: Cochiolo, Mariah 2
SH: Andersen, Jillian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Westlund, Kim 1 ; Ceccacci, Emily 1 ; Tyler, Courtney 1
