Cal Poly Softball picked up a series win by taking two of three over UC Davis on Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7 at La Rue Field.
The Mustangs (17-22, 10-14 Big West) got their third conference series win of the season while the Aggies (27-19, 13-11) lost their third in a row.
Saturday
A lightning delay pushed the doubleheader to Sunday and left only one game to be played on Saturday. In that game, UC Davis came out on top 2-0.
The Aggies scored the only two runs in the bottom of the first on a two-RBI single.
Davis pitcher Kenedi Brown was rolling, holding Cal Poly to just two hits while striking out six in the complete game shutout.
It was the fifth time the Mustangs have been held scoreless all season long.
Sunday Game One
After a rough series opener, Cal Poly bounced back with a 5-2 win to open up Sunday’s action.
However, the game started the same as Saturday’s as UC Davis got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the first.
Meanwhile, the Cal Poly offense was dormant for the majority of the game. However, the bats woke up in the final two frames of the matchup.
In the top of the sixth inning, walks from sophomore center fielder Jessica Clements and junior right fielder Juju Sargent set up sophomore second baseman Caroline Allman for an RBI double to cut into the lead at 2-1.
The very next batter, freshman third baseman Mylina Garza, then roped a double of her own to give the Mustangs their first lead of the weekend at 3-2.
After sophomore righthander Paige Maier held the Aggies scoreless in the bottom half, Sargent came up with a two-RBI double to provide Cal Poly with insurance runs in the top of the seventh, extending the lead to 5-2.
Maier, who tossed a complete game, then sat UC Davis down in order in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the win.
Sunday Game Two
The Mustangs held onto the momentum from the first half of the doubleheader and picked up another 5-2 win on Sunday to clinch the series.
Cal Poly struck first for the first time during the weekend with an RBI single from Sargent to score junior shortstop Xiara Diaz in the top of the first.
UC Davis answered quickly and claimed the lead with two runs in the first, as they did for all three games of the series. That was all the offense the Aggies would manage for the rest of the day.
After a scoreless second, the Mustangs tied things up in the top of the third on an RBI single by Allman that scored Diaz.
Cal Poly distanced itself with a big fifth inning that saw nine batters step to the plate.
Clements doubled to lead off the inning, which was followed by a wild pitch that brought her to third. Then, Diaz drove her in with an RBI sacrifice fly to recapture the lead at 3-2.
Garza and sophomore catcher Julia Barnett each then added to the rally with RBI singles to bring the lead up to 5-2, a score that would stick for the remainder of the game.
Freshman righthander Sophia Ramuno came out of the bullpen and was dominant, allowing zero runs on two hits and one walk while striking out nine in the final 5 ⅔ innings of the game.
Cal Poly’s final series of the season will come against UC San Diego at Bob Janssen Field beginning on Friday, May 12 at 1 p.m.