With Cal Poly trailing and momentum slipping away, junior outfielder Kiara Blanchard stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the fifth, eyes locked on the pitcher. The count sat at 1-1 when she saw the pitch she wanted. Blanchard didn’t miss.
She drove the ball sharply up the middle, splitting the infield and rolling into center field for a double. Sophomore infielder Sehren Martinez rounded third and sprinted home, crossing the plate to pull the score 2-3.
A total of six runs came in the bottom of the fifth inning, leading Cal Poly (3-10) to a 7-3 win to close out a tough series against Sacramento State (8-5).
The Mustangs fell in both Saturday games of their three-game series against the Hornets, but were able to seal the win on Sunday afternoon.
In every weekend of action so far this season, the Mustangs have found a way to finish strong, securing a win on the final day after battling through early struggles.
“Hitting is contagious,” Head Coach Jenny Condon said. “They were committed to the offensive plan, which was attacking strikes.”
Signs of progress
With only three wins so far this season, the Mustangs’ early-season struggles haven’t come as a complete surprise to Condon, who identifies a lack of experience as the team’s biggest challenge.
Those challenges have shown up across the board, from struggles in the circle to defensive miscues and inconsistency at the plate. Still, Condon believes moments like the six-run fifth inning are signs that the team is starting to turn a corner.
“It was fun today to see them come back and believe in themselves and get it done,” Condon said.
Erskine shines in key moments
Freshman shortstop Sienna Erskine is quickly making a name for herself as a rising star for the Mustangs. In her first year at the collegiate level, Erskine is already showing flashes of her potential both at the plate and on the field.
She went 2-for-3 on Sunday, including two RBIs, while also maintaining solid defensive play with five putouts and three assists.
“I feel honored to get the opportunity as a freshman to play and see the dirt a lot,” Erskine said. “It’s tough coming from travel ball and having to balance a lot of softball with a lot of school, but the older girls are really good about helping me adjust to everything.”
Erskine set the tone for Cal Poly’s comeback with a momentum-shifting triple in the fourth inning, driving in the first Mustang run of the game. Cal Poly rallied behind the run to finish the comeback in their six-run fifth inning.
Erskine reflected on the team’s performance in yesterday’s games, acknowledging that they didn’t quite show up to the level they had hoped. However, the freshman emphasized the importance of taking the season game by game, focusing on building momentum with each opportunity.
“We had a way better mindset coming in today with nothing to lose,” Erskine said. “Last night, we had a talk about really focusing on those singular things we can fix, and bringing it together as a team was something that definitely helped us today.”
Preparing for Louisville Slugger Invitational
The Mustangs will be on the road again next week for the Louisville Slugger Invitational.
The three-day tournament will be held at Long Beach State, where Cal Poly will face off against Pitt, Omaha, Utah Tech and LMU starting on Friday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m.
