Helen Peña pitched the third two-hitter of her career Sunday afternoon while leading the Cal Poly softball team to a 3-0 win over Pacific at Bill Simoni Field in Stockton.
Peña (8-6) struck out seven Tigers while walking none as the Mustangs kept within a game of UC Santa Barbara for second place in the Big West Conference.
Junior third baseman Cristen Lee singled in the fourth inning to plate sophomore first baseman Krysten Cary for a 1-0 lead.
Cal Poly (20-20, 8-7 Big West), which dropped the first half of a Saturday doubleheader 11-2 prior to winning 6-3, mustered just two hits during the first three frames against right-hander Alyce Jorgensen (6-9) before tacking on two fifth-inning scores to Cary’s run.
The latter runs came courtesy of junior shortstop Melissa Pura and senior designated player Sarah Iwata, who came home after Jorgensen, relocated to third base, overthrew Kellee Wilson at first.
Although the Mustangs stranded 10, Peña, a sophomore left-hander, retired the final 10 batters she faced to preserve the win.
Cal Poly, which won in its final scheduled road game of the season, will begin a six-game homestand by opening a three-game series against UC Davis (22-31, 7-8 Big West) with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Saturday at Bob Janssen Field.