Cal Poly Softball opened their annual Mustang Classic tournament on Feb. 19 with a 6-1 loss to Sacramento State.
The Mustang Classic ran until Sunday and featured Cal Poly, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Manhattan State and University of the Pacific.
In the Mustangs first game of the tournament, they were shut down by the Hornets in a 6-1 loss making it the Mustangs’ eighth loss in a row.
Hornets pitcher Alexa Ortiz who pitched a complete game with 123 pitches stopped the Mustangs offensive production.
The Mustangs only tallied two hits while the Hornets finished with nine hits, only striking out twice.
In the bottom of the third inning, third baseman Leilani Allen hit a sacrifice fly to right field bringing home freshman pitcher Myleigh Cooper for the Mustangs only run of the game. Sophomore right fielder Maddy Bermudez notched the only other Mustang hit.
The Mustangs have struggled offensively with a season batting average of .249 as compared to their opponents who hold an average of .273.
A groundout to third base by sophomore second baseman Sienna Erskine sealed the deal on the Mustang’s seventh straight loss to start the year.
Day two struggles
The Mustangs went into their second game of the tournament looking for their first win of the season only to be met with yet another loss as they fell 5-2 against Pacific.
Despite the loss, the Mustangs saw both offensive and defensive improvement. They finished with five hits, only tallying one error in the second game of the tournament.
The Mustangs broke the seal on their offensive production in the third inning, scoring two for their first lead of the weekend. A double hit by senior outfielder Kiara Blanchard brought home freshman infielder Madi Bohannon as she tallied the Mustang’s only run of the game. A throwing error from the Tigers gave Cal Poly their second run.
The Mustang lead was short-lived, as the Tigers scored three runs in the fourth and two in the sixth, building a 5-2 lead that would result in another Mustang loss.