UC Riverside
Mustangs Close 2014 Season with 3-0 Senior Day Victory
5/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Freshman righthander Sierra Hyland tossed a complete-game, seven-hit shutout and drove home every run with a pair of doubles as the Cal Poly softball team closed the 2014 regular season with a 3-0 triumph against UC Riverside inside Bob Janssen field.
Eliminated from Big West Conference championship contention with a Friday, series-opening split versus UC Riverside, Cal Poly (33-19, 14-7) – whose second-place finish in the conference standings marked the program's best showing since winning the 2009 title – notched the only runs it needed in the bottom of the first inning. After junior left fielder Emily Ceccacci produced the first of her three hits with one out, freshman designated player Courtney Tyler followed with a single. Hyland then unloaded the bases with the first of her two doubles.
After producing a hit apiece during the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, Cal Poly, Ceccacci and Hyland put the game away in the sixth. Ceccacci, whose 63 hits in 2014 rank as the third-highest single season total in Mustang history, produced another one-out effort before scoring through Hyland's team-leading 11th double of the year.
In the circle, Hyland (26-8) – making her Cal Poly single season record 34th start and 42nd appearance – conceded just two hits through the opening four innings. She faced just one challenge to her shutout as UC Riverside opened the sixth inning with successive singles from catcher Natalie Sanchez and third baseman Taylor Wright. Hyland, however, produced a pair of fly outs and a ground out to silence the Highlanders.
One of 10 finalists for the inaugural NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year trophy, Hyland finished her initial year on campus ranked first in Cal Poly single season history for strikeouts (263), shutouts (12), innings pitched (264.1), starts (34) and appearances (42); second in victories (26) and complete games (28) and sixth in ERA (1.51).
Hyland's 26 victories rank as the highest national total by a freshman while her 263 strikeouts are the ninth-highest single season amount in Big West Conference history. She also hit a team-leading .366 in 2014.
As a team, Cal Poly posted its highest overall and Big West win totals since the 2009 conference-champion Mustangs finished 41-12 and 18-3. The Mustangs also finished 14-6 at home this season.
Saturday's victory marked the final collegiate contest for seven Mustang senior players: third baseman Jillian Andersen, right fielder Cami Brown (top, Saturday), catcher Mariah Cochiolo, center fielder Lauren Moreno, second baseman Ashley Romano, shortstop Kim Westlund and designated player Shea Williams.
Photo courtesy of Ray Ambler
