Cal Poly Softball struggled to contain UC Santa Barbara’s offense and was swept on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 at Campus Diamond in Santa Barbara.
The Mustangs (10-14, 3-6 Big West) gave up eight runs to their Blue-Green rival Gauchos (18-11, 5-3 Big West) in each of the three games on the weekend.
Saturday Game One
Cal Poly opened up the series against UCSB with an 8-4 loss.
After sitting down the Mustangs in the first inning, the Gauchos jumped ahead on a two-out triple that scored two runs in the bottom half.
Cal Poly took until the top of the fourth to get a base runner aboard, when junior right fielder Juju Sargent singled to end the no-hit bid. Sargent was stranded to keep the Mustangs scoreless.
The bottom of the fourth saw UCSB add three more runs on a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a two-run single, extending the lead to 5-0.
Cal Poly answered in the next frame, as a double by sophomore center fielder Jessica Clements plated two runs and cut the Gaucho lead to 5-2.
However, UCSB extended that lead with some insurance in the fifth, bringing in three more runs to make the score 8-2.
A two-run home run by Cal Poly sophomore catcher Julia Barnett in the seventh was too little too late, as the team ultimately fell 8-4.
Saturday Game Two
The Mustangs finished the day in a similar fashion to how they started it, falling 8-2 to the Gauchos.
UCSB struck first in the bottom of the first, as an RBI groundout gave them a 1-0 lead.
Once again, the Mustangs had trouble reaching base, taking until the third to reach safely. However, it would prove timely as Clements singled in the tying run to make it 1-1 in the third.
The Gauchos earned that run right back on a single in the bottom of the third, then exploded in the next inning.
Six runs were tallied on five hits in the bottom of the fourth as the Gauchos raced to an 8-1 lead.
An RBI single by junior shortstop Xiara Diaz made it 8-2 in the seventh, and that would be the final score as the Mustangs walked away on Saturday without a win.
Sunday
Cal Poly once again allowed the Gaucho offense to put up eight runs, dropping the series final 8-6.
UCSB struck early in the midday matchup, dropping four runs in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead.
After a scoreless second, the Mustang offense woke up to the tune of three runs in the third inning thanks to a bases-clearing double by sophomore designated hitter Caroline Allman, cutting the Gaucho lead to 4-3.
Cal Poly then kept the momentum, tying the game up in the fourth on an RBI single from Diaz.
However, UCSB quickly took control of the game back after a three-run fourth inning and another run in the fifth.
A pair of runs thanks to RBIs from Diaz and Barnett in the sixth cut into the lead, but the Mustangs couldn’t get closer than 8-6 when the final out was recorded.
Cal Poly will look to turn things around back home in a series against Hawaii on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8 at Bob Janssen Field.
