Rafael Salinas
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On Saturday night, the Cal Poly softball team dropped the second of a pair of close, one-run games against UC Davis at Bob Janssen Field. The Mustangs fell to 3-5 in conference and 21-17 overall.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to get that run across in close situations — we haven’t had timely hitting the last few games, we need to be able to come up with the key hit in clutch situations,” head coach Jenny Condon said.
It appeared the Mustangs were headed toward a positive decision early on. In the top of the first, leadoff hitter Lauren Moreno drew a walk and senior shortstop Kim Westlund managed to reach base after UC Davis’ junior first baseman Amy Nunez dropped a throw from the shortstop to put runners on first and second.
The Mustangs executed well from there, bringing their first run across. A sacrifice bunt by junior left fielder Emily Ceccacci moved the runners over, and freshman right fielder Courtney Tyler hit a sacrifice fly to right that was just deep enough to score Moreno as she narrowly evaded the tag of UC Davis freshman catcher Lauryn Saunders with a slide around her outstretched arm on a close play at the plate.
The Mustangs’ lack of bunt execution has hurt them recently, according to Condon, who said the Mustangs missed eight bunt opportunities last week against UC Santa Barbara.
“We need to do a better job with our mental game and not make situations too big, we need to execute better and offer at strikes, we’re chasing bad pitches,” Condon said.
Despite the strong efforts of Cal Poly junior tarting pitcher Chloe Wurst, UC Davis tied the game In the top of the fourth. With two outs in the inning, the Aggies’ senior second baseman Chandler Wagner singled to left field to knot the score at one. Wagner had six RBIs total in the doubleheader.
Wurst ran into trouble again in the top of the sixth, when Wagner sent a sharply hit ball past Mustang senior third baseman Jillian Andersen two bring two runs across for the Aggies and put them up 3-1.
That proved to be just enough to outlast the Mustang comeback attempt and give Wurst her eighth loss of the season, despite the quality start. Wurst pitched a complete game and gave up three runs on eight hits, surrendered zero walks and struck out four.
In the final inning, the Mustangs would attempt a comeback as Ceccacci reached on a fielders’ choice and eventually reached third base after freshman Sierra Hyland singled to left field. With two outs and a runner on third, senior catcher Mariah Cochiolo grounded out to first to end the game.
“We didn’t execute some of the stuff that we needed to, energy was a little low, but one-run games, really they sometimes go your way and sometimes they don’t,” Cochiolo said.
The final game of the series starts at noon Sunday. The Mustangs will then travel to Hawaii for a three-game series from April 18-19 before returning home for a five-game homestand.