9-22, 3-9
UC Riverside
4-23, 2-10
Mustangs Fall to UC Riverside in Sunday Series Finale, 4-2
3/29/2026 4:04:00 PM | Softball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly softball program twice rallied to tie Sunday’s series finale with UC Riverside, but a two-run fifth inning from the Highlanders marked the winning margin as the Mustangs fell, 4-2.
After UC Riverside took the game’s opening lead in the top of the first – third baseman Leilani Juan and designated player Kayla Penor stringing together back-to-back one-out doubles – Cal Poly tied the matchup in the bottom half after first baseman Myleigh Cooper singled home second baseman Sienna Erskine with one down.
UC Riverside surged back in front during the top of the second with second baseman Taylor Wren supplying an RBI bunt single. The Highlanders though stranded the bases loaded in the second and once more in the third.
Able to keep its deficit at a solitary run, Cal Poly deadlocked the matchup once more during the bottom of the fourth as left fielder Kiara Blanchard brought home pinch runner Madi Bohannon with a sacrifice fly.
Cal Poly starting freshman righthander Kaylee Davis, however, walked Highlanders catcher Amaree Arellano on four pitches to lead off the fifth before first baseman Arianna Saldivar placed UC Riverside in front with a triple down the right field line. Pinch hitter Mariana Palazuelos added another RBI hit later in the inning to complete the scoring.
Cal Poly, which received a team leading two hits from freshman shortstop Leilani Allen, stranded nine baserunners.
Cal Poly plays three of its next four Big West series on the road, starting at Cal State Bakersfield with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday, April 3.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cheng, Emory (4-7)
L: Davis, Kaylee (3-11)
Batting:
2B: Juan, Leilani 1 ; Penor, Kayla 2
3B: Saldivar, Arianna 1
RBI: Palazuelos, Mariana 1 ; Saldivar, Arianna 1 ; Penor, Kayla 1 ; Wren, Taylor 1
SH: Arellano, Amaree 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Juan, Leilani 1 ; Kahunahana, Trendee 2 ; Saldivar, Arianna 1
Batting:
RBI: Blanchard, Kiara 1 ; Cooper, Myleigh 1
SH: Venegas, Maya 1
SF: Blanchard, Kiara 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Erskine, Sienna 1 ; Bohannon, Madi 1
SB: Choi, Karina 1 ; Bermudez, Maddy 1
CS: Allen, Leilani 1
