In their conference opener this weekend, Cal Poly softball propelled themselves to the top of the Big West standings as they swept CSU Northridge in three games on the road.
The Mustangs (13-9, 3-0 Big West) kicked things off with a doubleheader Saturday against the Matadors (16-10, 0-3 Big West) and closed the series with a win on Sunday.
All three games from the Matador Diamond were tightly contested pitchers’ duels, with only 12 runs being scored the entire series. Sophomore pitcher Sophia Ramuno tossed two complete games – along with a save– and tallied up 20 strikeouts all in 14 ⅔ innings of work.
Saturday’s games were both won 3-2, while Ramuno struck out ten on Sunday to shut out the Matadors 2-0.
The three wins mark the first series sweep to begin Big West play since 2013, as currently, CSU Northridge is the only other team in the Big West with a winning record.
Ramuno delivers on the mound, Clements stays hot in the box
The Mustangs rallied behind Ramuno, as she went the distance in the circle while striking out eight.
In the top of the first, sophomore left fielder Kiara Blanchard knocked a two-out RBI double, scoring senior shortstop Xiara Diaz.
With an early 1-0 lead, Ramuno went to work on the mound, retiring the first 12 batters she faced. In the bottom of the fifth, the Matadors got their first hit on a two-run home run, which would be the only runs they scored the entire game. The home run counted as their first hit as the previous batter reached on an error, giving Ramuno only one earned run on the day.
In the third, junior center fielder Jessica Clements – boasting the highest batting average in the Big West at .514 – continued her hot streak with a lead-off single. She reached third on an error by the Matadors and scored on a sacrifice fly by Diaz to make the score 2-0.
With one out in the fifth inning, Clements tripled to get her third hit of the day. Diaz followed her up with an RBI double, giving the Mustangs a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Matadors looked to spoil Ramuno’s outing with a walk-off. With the game still at 3-2, the Matadors put two runners aboard with one out. Ramuno would get her eighth strikeout of the day, and then with two outs, she forced a fly-out to end the game.
Another pitcher’s duel, Ramuno picks up the save
Runs were at a premium again in game two, as Cal Poly stranded two runners through the first two innings and CSUN stranded six through the first four innings.
Junior righthander Paige Maier got the start in the circle for the Mustangs, only allowing one hit through four innings.
With the bases loaded in the third inning and only one out, the Mustangs got on the board first as sophomore second baseman Kenny Litana poked a ground ball to third base. The ball was mishandled by the Matador third baseman, allowing Diaz and senior right fielder Juju Sargent to score on the error.
In the fifth inning, the Matadors made it a 2-1 game with a double and then a triple against Maier. With a runner still on third, junior righthander Kate Judy relieved Maier and threw a wild pitch, tying the game at 2-2.
Judy would get the win as she stayed on the mound for the sixth inning, stranding one runner and keeping the game tied at two.
In the top of the seventh, Diaz, who was 3-for-3, led off for the Mustangs. She continued her stellar day, getting aboard with a single and grabbing her fourth hit of the day. Diaz would advance on a bunt that moved her over to second base. With the go-ahead run in scoring position, Blanchard singled to right-center. Diaz was waved around third, coming in to score the eventual game-winning run for the Mustangs.
In the bottom half of the seventh and looking to secure the series win, Ramuno relieved Judy with one out. She would then strike out the next two Matador hitters to end the game and secure herself a save.
Ramuno shuts out the Matadors
On Sunday, Ramuno continued her impressive pitching, going seven innings in the circle with 10 strikeouts and blanking the Matador hitters in the run column. The 10 strikeouts also matched a career-high for her.
The Mustangs would get their first run against CSUN in the top of the third, as Sargent plated freshman Sehren Martinez with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Clements would go 3-for-3 on Sunday, continuing her hot streak and remaining the Big West’s top hitter with a .532 batting average.
With the game still at 1-0, the Matadors threatened in the bottom of the fifth. Ramuno would hit one batter, allow a single, and then give up a four-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. She stranded all three, striking out the next batter and holding the lead for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs looked to add on some insurance runs in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with Sargent stepping into the box. She would draw a five-pitch walk, making the game 2-0.
In the bottom half of the seventh, the Matadors threatened once again. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Mustangs were one out away from a series sweep on the road. Ramuno ended the game on a strikeout, securing herself a complete game shutout.
Cal Poly will return home to kick off a 12-game homestand at Bob Janssen Field, starting with UC Riverside on Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24.