Mustangs Lead Early, but Close 2015 Season with 3-2 Loss at UC Riverside

Saturday, May 9

Riverside, CA

12 pm

22-33, 5-16

UC Riverside

39-17, 11-10

Cal Poly

UC Riverside

Mustangs Lead Early, but Close 2015 Season with 3-2 Loss at UC Riverside

5/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

RIVERSIDE – Freshman third baseman Stephanie Heyward's first-inning double granted the Cal Poly softball program the opening lead Saturday afternoon, but UC Riverside – aided by two errors – scored three times in the third as the Mustangs closed the 2015 season with a 3-2 loss at Amy S. Harrison Field.

Cal Poly (22-33, 5-16), playing its 20th one-run decision of the year, jumped on UC Riverside (39-17, 11-10) immediately. After the first two Mustangs of the day were retired, sophomore right fielder Courtney Tyler drew a five-pitch before sophomore starting righthander Sierra Hyland reached through an infield single. Four pitcher later, Heyward doubled into the right field gap to place Cal Poly up 2-0.

In the circle, Hyland (17-22) retired seven of the first eight UC Riverside hitters faced. In the bottom of the third, however, the Highlanders loaded the bases through a hit batter, a Mustang fielding error and an infield single. A sacrifice fly by UC Riverside pinch hitter Natalie Sanchez scored second baseman Nicolette Lujan to cut Cal Poly's lead in half and, on the sequence, Tyler overthrew Heyward from right field with the errant throw allowing center fielder Jenna Curtan to reach home.

The next Highlander, right fielder Karina Romero, then produced a two-out, run-scoring single into left center field to bring home left fielder Madeline Richard for the 3-2 UC Riverside advantage.

Following UC Riverside's third-inning barrage, Hyland restricted the Highlanders to just two hits and to just one baserunner past first during her final three innings of the season.

Cal Poly, however, was itself kept to just two hits between the second and sixth innings by UC Riverside righthander Chelsea Ponce (30-10).

The Mustangs mounted one final challenge against UC Riverside in the top of the seventh as freshman center fielder Amanda Sandoval singled with one down before freshman shortstop Chelsea Convissar produced a two-out base hit. Ponce, however, forced a groundout from Tyler to end the season.

Saturday's season finale marked the final college appearance for senior left fielder Emily Ceccacci, who departs the Mustang program as a .292 career hitter in 143 games. Cal Poly's third leading hitter this year with a .271 mark, Ceccacci's .341 average in Big West play led the Mustangs in 2015.

Ceccacci was an All-Big West Conference second team selection in 2014 as her .356 batting average as a junior remains the 11th highest single season mark in program history.