14-11
Fresno State
14-13
Cal Poly Falls in Both Ends of Sunday Doubleheader at Fresno State
3/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
FRESNO – Sophomore first baseman Hailey Martin (above) finished with a game high three RBI during the second game of a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Fresno State, but a four-run fifth inning by the Bulldogs broke a 5-5 deadlock as the hosts produced a 9-5 decision to close the 2018 Fresno State Friendly tournament. Cal Poly also dropped the opening game of the doubleheader, 10-2, in five innings.
During Sunday's second game against Fresno State (15-13), Cal Poly (14-12) grabbed the lead at the first opportunity. With one down in the top of the first, freshman left fielder Noellah Ramos singled before Bulldog starting righthander Savannah Berkowitz hit senior third baseman Stephanie Heyward. Two batters later, Martin doubled to right center for a 2-0 Mustang lead.
Fresno State responded with a run in the bottom half of the first through a one-out, run-scoring single by first baseman Rachel Minogue. Mustang starting freshman righthander Dakota Capser (1-4), however, closed the inning by striking out Bulldog shortstop Schuyler Broussard on 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded.
The Bulldogs, however, required just one more inning to swing the lead in their direction through shortstop Katie Castellon's bases-clearing double. Right fielder Hayleigh Galvan then placed Fresno State up 5-2 with a sacrifice fly.
Following Fresno State's four-run second inning, Casper retired nine of the next 10 Bulldog hitters in order to give Cal Poly the chance to chip away at its deficit.
In the top of third inning, the Mustangs snatched two runs back. First, sophomore designated player Shelby Jeffries doubled to plate Heyward. Cal Poly then loaded the bases with two down when Fresno State reliever Samantha Mejia hit senior second baseman Alejandra Garcia to force home sophomore pinch runner Alyssa McKiernan for a 5-4 deficit.
Cal Poly then tied the matchup in the top of the fourth at 5-5 after Martin produced a sacrifice fly to left field that brought Heyward home once more.
Fresno State, however, broke the 5-5 scoreline with its four-run, fifth inning. It was Minogue who struck the opening and, ultimately, decisive blow with a run-scoring single to right field.
During Sunday's opening matchup versus Fresno State, Cal Poly starting righthander Lindsey Chalmers (9-4) kept Fresno State hitless during the opening two innings before the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one down in the bottom of the third. Chalmers then hit Galvan to force home center fielder Kaitlyn Jennings for the game's opening run before first baseman Rachel Minogue cleared the bases with a double that handed the hosts a 4-0 advantage. Later in the inning, Chalmers issued a two-out, bases-loaded walk to Jennings to force in Minogue as the Bulldogs completed their five-run inning.
Offensively, Cal Poly was kept to one hit itself through the opening three innings by Bulldog starting righthander Savannah Mchellon (2-1). Mchellon, however, walked Heyward and junior right fielder Crimson Kaiser to begin the fourth and Martin followed with a double that trimmed Fresno State's lead to 5-2.
Fresno State, however, grabbed both runs back in the bottom half of the fourth with Mchellon lining a two-run homer to left center off of Mustang righthanded reliever Shelby Jeffries.
The Bulldogs then closed the scoring and secured the run-rule victory with three runs in the bottom half of the fifth off of Cal Poly sophomore reliever Steffi Best.
Cal Poly continues play and completes Big West Conference preparations at the March 24-25, CSUN-hosted Matador Classic. The Mustangs open tournament play on Saturday, March 24 against Pacific (10:15 a.m.) and Georgia Tech (12:30 p.m.).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: MCHELLON, Savannah (2-1)
L: Chalmers, Lindsey (9-4)
Batting:
2B: Martin, Hailey 1
RBI: Martin, Hailey 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Heyward, Stephanie 1 ; Kaiser, Crimson 1
SB: Convissar, Chelsea 1
Batting:
2B: MINOGUE, Rachel 1
HR: MCHELLON, Savannah 1
RBI: MCHELLON, Savannah 2 ; GALVAN, Hayleigh 1 ; MINOGUE, Rachel 4 ; BROUSSARD, Schuylar 2 ; JENNINGS, Kaitlyn 1
SH: CASTELLON, Katie 1 ; BROUSSARD, Schuylar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ROHLEDER, Miranda 1 ; CASTELLON, Katie 2 ; MCHELLON, Savannah 2 ; CUEVAS, Aaliyah 1 ; GALVAN, Hayleigh 1 ; STEVENS, Dolly 1 ; MINOGUE, Rachel 1 ; JENNINGS, Kaitlyn 1
CS: JENNINGS, Kaitlyn 1
HBP: CASTELLON, Katie 1 ; GALVAN, Hayleigh 1 ; BROUSSARD, Schuylar 1
