The Cal Poly softball team returned to its winning ways against UC Santa Barbara last weekend. After losing eight of their last nine games, the Mustangs (15-17, 4-2 Big West) swept their three-game conference series against the Gauchos (9-28, 0-6) last weekend.
In the third game of the series Sunday afternoon, junior lefthander Anna Cahn allowed just four hits to record her second-successive shutout of UC Santa Barbara leading her teammates to a 5-0 win.
Despite putting seven players on base during the first three innings, Cal Poly (15-17, 4-2) was held hitless by UC Santa Barbara starting pitcher Lindsey Correa (3-10). Junior catcher Stephanie Correia singled up the middle with one out in the fourth to score freshman pinch runner Mackenzie Mendonca and to break the tie.
Cal Poly extended their lead to 4-0 during the fifth, as senior designated player Sara Kryza belted her second home run of the year over the left field fence to bring home senior first baseman Krysten Cary and freshman pinch runner Nicole Lund.
The Mustangs, who swept UC Santa Barbara (9-28, 0-6) for the second-successive season and furthered their road winning streak against Big West opposition to 13-straight games, finalized the scoreline during the sixth as sophomore left fielder Nora Sobczak plated freshman Whitley Gerhart by dropping a single into short center field.
Cahn (10-9), who allowed just two Gauchos past second base, retired nine of the final 11 batters she faced. The lefthander, who failed to yield a walk against UC Santa Barbara during 14 innings of series work to lower a Big West-leading ERA to 1.70.
On Saturday, sophomore third baseman Kendal Hennings homered during both ends of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader and Cahn tossed a complete-game two-hitter in the second game as the Mustangs put together 7-2 and 3-0 wins.
With the opening-game victory, Cal Poly produced its first road win of 2010 and snapped a four-game losing streak at Campus Diamond that dated to the 2006 campaign.
The Mustangs led Saturday’s opening game from the onset. Hennings opened game No. 1 by drawing a full-count walk against UC Santa Barbara starting pitcher MeLinda Matsumoto (4-10) before advancing to third base after a single by Cary. With two outs, freshman right fielder Dana Perez provided the Mustangs a 1-0 lead by singling to plate Hennings.
The Mustangs doubled their lead an inning later. Gerhart drew a two-out walk before later scoring after sophomore left fielder Nora Sobczak’s dumped a single into center field.
After pushing just one baserunner into scoring position during the initial two innings against starting righthander Rebecca Patton (3-4), UC Santa Barbara cut Cal Poly’s advantage in half during the third as designated player Katie McWhirter produced a run-scoring groundout that plated first baseman Jessica Ziegler.
The Gauchos deadlocked the scoreline an inning later as Ziegler, the Big West’s second-leading hitter, singled with two outs to plate shortstop Keilani Jennings.
Cal Poly loaded the bases with two outs during both the fourth and fifth innings, but Gerhart capped each occasion by grounding out to Matsumoto.
Hennings, however, opened the sixth by belting her second homer of the season over the center field fence. Freshman shortstop Trista Thomas drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Sobczak before freshman second baseman Shea Williams unloaded the bags by driving the first pitch she saw from relief pitcher Lindsey Correa into center field.
Patton finished the opener with four strikeouts against two walks to earn her second-consecutive victory.
In the second game, Cal Poly stranded seven runners through the initial three innings before Hennings provided the Mustangs a 2-0 lead and scored pinch runner Mendonca by homering over the left field fence in the fourth. Two batters later, Cary increased Cal Poly’s lead to 3-0 by swatting her team-best fifth homer of the season to left center field.
During the seventh as sophomore pinch hitter Capri Ruiz dropped a double down the right field line to bring home Cary and sophomore pinch runner Nicole Lund.
Cahn, who faced just three Gaucho over the minimum, tossed 58 pitches as she finished with five strikeouts against zero walks.
The Mustangs will return to the field when they take on Cal State Fullerton in a three-game home conference series next weekend at Bob Janssen Field.