May 2, 2009
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
San Luis Obispo, Calif. - Behind a complete game from freshman Gabby McDaniel (Sacramento, Calif.) the Pacific softball team stunned No. 21 Cal Poly, 2-1, in game two of their double header to earn a split of the day's action on Saturday, May 2. The Mustangs took game one, 9-1 (5), to pick up one win on the day. Overall, Pacific moved to 18-30 on the year and 3-14 in conference play while the league-leading Mustangs fell to 34-10 overall and 14-3 in the Big West.
The win for the Tigers snapped a 14-game winning streak by the Mustangs and a 19-game home winning streak (including 17 straight in 2009).
Taking on their toughest test of the conference season in their final road trip of the year, the Tigers pulled off their biggest upset of the season by stopping the Mustangs at Bob Janssen Field for the first time this season. To do so the Tigers needed a masterful pitching performance in the circle from McDaniel who delivered her finest performance of the year in her 11th start. After watching her team struggle to hold down the Mustangs' earlier in the day, McDaniel shutdown Cal Poly's top ranked offense with an array of different pitches that had the Mustangs' guessing from the start.
In seven innings of work, McDaniel scattered six hits throughout the afternoon as she kept the Mustangs off balance and off the scoreboard. The only blemish for McDaniel on the day came in the first inning when she allowed a two-out home run to Krysten Cary, whose solo home run was her conference-best 14th of the season. After relinquishing the home run, McDaniel shut down the rest of teh Mustangs' threats throughout the game, stranding four Cal Poly runners on base including leaving runners at second in the middle three innings. For the day, McDaniel held the Mustangs' in check while tallying three strike outs, and even more importantly, finishing the game with out handing out a free pass.
With McDaniel dealing in the circle, the Tigers gave their young hurler all the runs she would need in their first trip to the plate in the contest as the top of the order delivered a pair of runs that would hold up through seven innings of action. Leading off the inning, senior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and junior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) started the contest off with a pair of singles to put runners on for the heart of the order. Delivering as she has done all season, sophomore Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) followed suit by looping the second pitch of the at bat into right-center field, plating the first run of the game as Goldsand came into score from second while Pierce moved to third.
Standing 60 feet from pay dirt, Weyman would come in to score what would be the game's winning run on a fly ball to right field off the bat of senior Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.). Santos' sacrifice fly in the first was her second of the season and posted her 18th RBI on the season, third best on the team.
In the circle for the Mustangs, Helen Pena was tagged with the loss as she also threw a complete seven innings, but was outdueled by McDaniel. In seven innings of work, Pena relinquished five hits and the Tigers' two runs while striking out three and hitting one batter. The loss dropped Pena to 10-5 on the year while McDaniel improved to 4-10.
Earlier in the day, the Tigers suffered a 9-1 defeat in five innings at the hands of the Mustangs as Anna Cahn held the Tigers' offense down while her own lineup provided enough pop to close out the game early in five innings. After a strong start by senior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) in the circle, the Tigers suffered from a big third inning from Cal Poly as the Mustangs scored four runs and sent 10 batters to the plate to do the damage. The big hit in the inning came from Cahn as she delivered a two-run double with the bases loaded to start the scoring. The hit was one of four in the inning for the Mustangs on top of three free passes issued by Engle.
The Mustangs added two more in the fourth and finished the game with three in the fifth the eight run victory over the Tigers. Coming full circle, Cahn delivered the final blow to the Tigers in the fifth, picking up a sacrifice fly to deep center field to plate the final run of the contest.
In the circle, Cahn went all five for Cal Poly as she gave up six hits to the Tigers and one run, unearned, while striking out three and walking one. For Engle, the senior lasted three innings as she gave up four hits and four runs while striking out one and walking four. In relief, senior Heidi Helberg (Brentwood, Calif.) went 1.2 innings while giving up five hits and five runs, three earned, while walking three.
Pacific's lone run of the contest came in the top of the fourth inning as a misplayed ball in the outfield on a single by Weyman resulted in junior Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) coming into score Pacific's first run of the game from first base.
The Tigers' victory over the Mustangs was their first over a ranked team since defeating No. 17 San Diego State, 4-1, on March 7, 2008.
The rubber game of the three game series between the Tigers and the Mustangs will be played on Sunday, May 3 as the two teams meet at Bob Janssen Field for a single game at 12:00 pm.
