Ryan ChartrandThe Cal Poly softball team won all three of its games over the weekend at its Mustang Classic at Bob Janssen Field, downing Cal and Santa Clara on Friday and then Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday. Because of rainy conditions, the Mustangs’ doubleheader on Saturday was cancelled.
Cal Poly sophomore lefthander Helen Peña pitched a complete game in the 5-2 win over Alabama-Birmingham, which could muster just five hits as she struck out a career-high 11 batters.
Leftfielder Jessica Rogers, who had never previously compiled a multi-hit game through 84 collegiate appearances, went 3 for 3 and scored twice for Cal Poly (5-8), which had eight hits. Catcher Stephanie Correia went 2 for 4 with two RBI.
UAB put the game’s first run on the board in the second inning on three singles yielding one run, but Cal Poly took a 2-1 lead in the third, as Correia hit a two-RBI single.
Rogers drove centerfielder Jenna Maiden home with a single in the fourth to put the Mustangs up 3-1.
The Blazers edged within 3-2 in the sixth inning on a Kayla Harris single, but Cal Poly sealed the victory with a pair of runs in its half of the inning, as designated player Sarah Iwata drove third baseman Cristen Lee in, and Rogers came home on a wild pitch.
On Friday, in the Mustangs’ 3-1 victory over Cal, their first in 10 seasons over the Golden Bears, freshman lefthander Anna Cahn gave up only three hits in a complete-game effort to earn her first collegiate victory.
She also cleared the bases in the first inning with a two-RBI double.
Cal’s lone run of the contest came in the top of the first inning after Correia, who had two hits, and rightfielder Brandi Gutierrez, committed two consecutive throwing errors.
The Mustangs completed the scoring in the sixth inning when first baseman Krysten Cary drove Correia home with a two-out, sacrifice fly.
Later, in Cal Poly’s 4-0 shutout of Santa Clara, senior righthander Robyn Kontra struck out 11 batters. Her effort was complemented when Correia doubled to bring home Stephanie Tam in the third inning and shortstop Melissa Pura brought Tam home again with a triple in the fifth.
Two Broncos fielding errors in the sixth allowed Maiden and Gutierrez to score during consecutive at-bats.
During the three games, Cal Poly’s pitching staff hurled its way to a 0.86 ERA and an aggregate .187 batting average.
Cal Poly hosts a doubleheader against North Dakota beginning at 3 p.m. March 3.