Cal Poly Swept by UC Santa Barbara in Big West-Opening Doubleheader

Saturday, April 2

Santa Barbara, CA

1 pm

16-12, 0-1

UC Santa Barbara

18-17, 1-0

Cal Poly

UC Santa Barbara

Cal Poly Swept by UC Santa Barbara in Big West-Opening Doubleheader

4/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SANTA BARBARA – Sophomore righthander Lindsey Chalmers (above) struck out five UC Santa Barbara hitters during the Cal Poly softball team's Saturday Big West Conference opener, but the Gauchos scored twice with two outs in the fourth as the Mustangs fell in the doubleheader opener at Campus Diamond, 2-1. Despite a complete-game effort from sophomore righthander Stephanie Heyward in game No. 2, Cal Poly also dropped the second half of the doubleheader, 3-0.

During Saturday's opener against the Gauchos (19-17, 2-0), Cal Poly (16-13, 0-2) grabbed the lead before the hosts had the opportunity to bat. Gaucho starting righthander Ashley Ludlow (6-7) hit Heyward – starting the opener as Cal Poly's designated player – to lead off the game. Junior left fielder Courtney Tyler followed with a hit to place runners at the corners before senior first baseman Breana West looped a run-scoring single into right field.

Provided the early lead, Chalmers (6-7) walked the first Gaucho she faced before retiring the ensuing 11 hitters. Chalmers, however, eventually conceded a hit with two down in the bottom of the fourth as UC Santa Barbara strung together four successive singles to take a 2-1 lead.

Chalmers recovered to set UC Santa Barbara down in order in the fifth and Cal Poly enjoyed the opportunity to tie the matchup in the top of the sixth. West drew a leadoff walk and senior right fielder Betsy Colburn laid down a sacrifice bunt to move sophomore pinch runner Alina Goodrum to second. Goodrum then reached third with a Ludlow wild pitch, but Mustang junior second baseman Ashley Tornio flew out and freshman catcher Makenna Young struck out to end the threat.

Chalmers, who finished with just one walk, enjoyed her second highest strikeout total of 2016. Cal Poly's offense, however, stranded six baserunners.

During Saturday's second game, UC Santa Barbara took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Heyward unfurled a one-out wild pitch that allowed designated player Jaqueline Hinojosa to score.

Heyward returned to retire six of the next seven Gauchos she faced, but UC Santa Barbara doubled its lead in the third as right fielder Jessica Johnston tripled down the right field line with two down to bring home Hinojosa.

Cal Poly's best chance to cut into UC Santa Barbara's lead came in the top of the fourth with a Colburn sacrifice bunt moving two Mustangs into scoring position with two down. However, Gaucho starting righthander Veronika Gulvin (6-8) forced a pop up from Tornio.

Heyward, meanwhile, kept the Gauchos to just a hit between the fourth and fifth innings while two Mustang throwing errors contributed to UC Santa Barbara's third run in the bottom half of the sixth.

Cal Poly, which stranded four further baserunners during game No. 2, produced three hits during the final three innings but failed to move a runner into scoring position.

Cal Poly closes its three-game set versus UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, April 3 at 1 p.m.