Cal Poly Softball’s bats never got going in their season opener against Oregon State, and the Mustangs ultimately fell 4-1.
The game kicked off the Mustang Classic, a weekend mini-tournament between Cal Poly, Oregon State and Ball State.
After rain canceled their initial season opener against Ball State, Cal Poly debuted their new squad a day later against Oregon State, who were coming off of a loss of their own against Ball State earlier on Friday.
The Beavers (1-1) shut down the Mustangs (0-1) with elite pitching and airtight defense, Cal Poly only mustering five hits and leaving seven runners on base.
Senior right-handed pitcher Paige Maier started in the circle for the Mustangs and got off to a dominant start, allowing the first Beaver hit to come in the top of the fifth inning.
Maier looked en route to a complete game but ran into trouble in the top of the seventh, allowing three runs in the inning and totaling four earned runs overall.
The right-hander tossed 97 pitches, tallying four strikeouts in the game.
After the Beavers strung some hits together in the top of the seventh, freshman pitcher Bree Brennan replaced Maier to make her collegiate debut and limit the damage.
Standout performances
Despite Cal Poly’s struggles on offense, there were a few standouts for the Mustangs at the plate.
Senior catcher Julia Barnett batted 3-3 with a double, and junior third-baseman Mylina Garza recorded the lone RBI with a game-tying double that was just feet away from being a go-ahead home run.
The Mustangs also started off innings strong, with the leadoff batter recording either a hit or a walk in every inning except the last. Head coach Jenny Condon put an emphasis on a small-ball style of play in this game, utilizing the sacrifice bunt to advance the lead-off runner.
However, the Mustangs left seven runners on base by the end of the game, not capitalizing on the scoring chances they created.
When the Mustangs finally did get the hit they were looking for in the bottom of the third, a strong throw from the Beavers’ left-fielder kept the game scoreless.
Condon acts as the third-base coach and was visibly frustrated with her choice to send the runner home.
Cal Poly will look to get their offense rolling as the season gets underway, continuing with their next Mustang Classic game against Ball State at 2 p.m. today at Bob Janssen Field.