Hyland Makes History as Cal Poly Sweeps Long Beach State

Sunday, May 4

Long Beach, CA

1 pm

31-18, 12-6

Long Beach State

36-16, 13-5

Cal Poly

Long Beach State

Hyland Makes History as Cal Poly Sweeps Long Beach State

5/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

LONG BEACH – Freshman righthander Sierra Hyland established new Cal Poly softball program single season records with her 254th strikeout and 11th shutout of 2014 on Sunday afternoon at Long Beach State as the Mustangs finalized a sweep and moved within one game of the Big West-leading 49ers in the conference standings with a 3-0 triumph.

Freshman right fielder Courtney Tyler drove home the eventual decisive run in the top of the third inning for second-place Cal Poly (31-18, 12-6), which now trails Big West co-leaders Long Beach State (36-16, 13-5) and UC Santa Barbara (33-18, 13-5) by one game in the conference standings with three regular season contests remaining. UC Santa Barbara moved into a first-place tie alongside the 49ers by finishing a sweep of last-place UC Riverside (22-29, 3-15) earlier Sunday.

Cal Poly's three-game sweep of Long Beach State marked the first time the 49ers had been whitewashed at home in a Big West series since April 27-28, 2002.

The Mustangs close the year by hosting UC Riverside for a three-game May 9-10 series while Long Beach State visits UC Santa Barbara on the same dates. Only one scenario exists for Cal Poly to clinch its first Big West title since 2009 and secure the Big West's automatic NCAA Tournament invitation: the Mustangs must sweep UC Riverside and have Long Beach State defeat UC Santa Barbara twice (and only twice).

Hyland (24-8), who needed four strikeouts to overtake two-time All-American Desarie Knipfer's previous 1997 program record of 253, struck out a 49er apiece in the second and third before producing two in the fourth to move to 254. The record-breaking effort came as Long Beach State had the bases loaded with two down with Hyland striking out 49er third baseman Hannah De Gaetano to preserve Cal Poly's 1-0 lead.

Entering Cal Poly's Friday, May 9 doubleheader against UC Riverside, Hyland ranks first in Cal Poly single season history for shutouts and strikeouts (256), second in victories (24), complete games (26), innings pitched (244.0) and starts (32), fourth in appearances (38) and seventh in ERA (1.63).

Offensively, Cal Poly pushed across the only run it needed in the top of the third. Senior shortstop Kim Westlund led off with the first of her game-high two hits before moving to second through a sacrifice bunt by senior left fielder Emily Ceccacci. Tyler then laced a full-count triple over the head of Long Beach State right fielder Sarah Carrasco to socre Westlund.

Long Beach State posed its last challenge in the bottom of the sixth with designated player Ashlynn Booker doubling with one out. Hyland, however, forced a ground out from Carrasco and a foul out from De Gaetano to end the threat.

Westlund returned in the seventh to kickstart a two-run inning with a leadoff triple. After Tyler was struck with a pitch, Hyland singled to plate Westlund. Two batters later, senior center fielder Lauren Moreno singled to score Tyler for the final 3-0 scoreline.