Cal Poly Falls in Opener at Cal State Fullerton in Rain-Soaked Afternoon

Saturday, April 25

Fullerton, CA

12 pm

22-25, 5-8

Cal State Fullerton

28-20, 6-7

Cal Poly

Cal St. Fullerton

Cal Poly Falls in Opener at Cal State Fullerton in Rain-Soaked Afternoon

4/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

FULLERTON, Calif. – Sophomore second baseman Ashley Tornio and junior first baseman Breana West (right) provided the Cal Poly softball program a three-run lead with fifth-inning hits, but a wild pitch by starting righthander Sierra Hyland with two outs in the sixth contributed to the decisive Cal State Fullerton run as the Mustangs dropped an ESPN3-broadcasted, Saturday series-opening contest, 5-4.

With a doubleheader originally scheduled for Saturday, game No. 2 at Anderson Family Field was postponed due to rain.

The Mustangs and Titans will complete their three-game series with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Sunday, April 26.

During Saturday's matchup, Cal Poly (22-25, 5-8) – appearing on ESPN3 for the first time in program history – secured a lead in the top of the second inning as West (double), junior designated player Betsy Colburn (walk) and freshman center fielder Amanda Sandoval (single) all reached with two outs before senior left fielder Emily Ceccacci produced a run-scoring base hit up the middle to place the Mustangs up 1-0.

Staked to the early lead, Hyland (17-16) retired seven of the first eight hitters she faced before Cal State Fullerton loaded the bases with one down in the bottom half of the third. Titan center fielder Courtney Rodriguez tied the game with a groundout, but Hyland forced a second groundout from designated player Sarah Moore to close the inning in a 1-1 tie.

Hyland recovered to retire Cal State Fullerton in order in the fourth and Cal Poly returned in the top half of the fifth to load the bases once more versus Titans starting lefthander Desiree Ybarra. With one down, Tornio placed Cal Poly back in front with a single up the middle to score freshmen Chelsea Convissar and Alina Goodrum. On the next pitch, West deposited her second double of the game into right center field to bring home freshman third baseman Stephanie Heyward for a 4-1 lead.

Cal State Fullerton, though, tied the game once more – the second time coming during the bottom half of the fifth. After snatching one run back through a one-out Rodriguez single, the Titans received a two-run double by Moore to deadlock the scoreline at 4-4.

Cal State Fullerton then returned in the sixth to push across the winning run as, with two Titan baserunners in scoring position and two down, Hyland unleashed a wild pitch with Titan pinch runner Gabrielle Rodas at third. The ball skipped in the dirt past Mustang freshman catcher Susanne Morris and allowed Rodas to score for the 5-4 edge.