Cal Poly Softball concluded non-conference play this weekend playing five games in the Lancer Joust tournament in Riverside this weekend, going 3-2 against California Baptist, St. John’s and Idaho State, sporting a 10-9 overall record so far this season.
The tournament lasted from Thursday, Feb. 29 to Sunday, March 3 with a break in games on Saturday due to rain in the area.
Ramuno starts the tournament off with complete game
The Mustangs first faced off against the Lancers on Thursday, with sophomore pitcher Sophia Ramuno taking the mound and pitching a complete game. The only run Ramuno would allow came in the first inning finishing her outing with seven strikeouts.
The Mustangs scored two runs in the fifth inning, with senior Mia Perez scoring the first run off a throwing error by the Lancers.
In the fifth inning, senior shortstop Xiara Diaz threw out the tying runner at home on a ground ball to keep the lead for the Mustangs. Diaz also made the final out of the game catching an over-the-shoulder fly ball that had the potential to walk if off for Cal Baptist, leaving the final score at 2-1.
Ramuno earns a save, continuing her stellar weekend
The Mustangs played a doubleheader the next day, the first game against the Red Storm of St. John’s.
After the Red Storm scored an RBI double in the first, the Mustangs responded in the second inning with senior Juju Sargent’s double scoring two while Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 lead.
However, St. John’s shortstop London Jarrard put up a three-run homer to retake their lead.
Sophomore Kiara Blanchard hit a clutch single with the bases loaded to score two for Cal Poly in the fifth. Redshirt junior Kenny Litana added some insurance in the seventh with an RBI single.
The bullpen came through for the Mustangs, junior righty Paige Maier pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings while Ramuno picked up her first save of the season to secure their 6-4 win.
Cal Poly walked-off, Ramuno close to second complete game
In Cal Poly’s second game of the day against Idaho State, Sargent scored on a sac fly by Blanchard in the first inning, but the Mustangs could not score again until the sixth inning.
Down 2-1, sophomore Mylina Garza tied the game up with an RBI single. In the seventh, the Mustangs strung some hits together to garner a two-run lead.
With Ramuno in the circle looking to close out her second straight complete game, the Bengals knocked a three-run homer to center field to walk it off and end the game 5-4.
Taking a “Paige” out of Ramuno’s book
The Mustangs got their revenge on Sunday, beating the Bengals 2-1 in a defensive showdown. Maier pitched a complete game only allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters.
Sargent led the Mustang offense this game, going 3-for-4 and hitting an RBI in the second inning that extended Cal Poly’s lead to 2-0.
Idaho State’s only run came when Maier walked in a run in the fifth inning, but shut down the Bengals the rest of the game.
Ramuno shines in relief, but can’t close it out once again
In their final match of the weekend, the Mustangs faced off against the Lancers once again. Although the game went to extra innings, the Mustangs gathered just six hits.
Tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth, the Mustangs scored on a fielding error to claim the lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the Mustangs once again lost on a walkoff. With Ramuno in the circle in her sixth inning of relief, the Lancers finally got to her with a double and two singles that scored two runs to finish the 6-5 walkoff.
The Mustangs have a bye week this week before kicking off Big West Conference play with a three-game road series against CSU Northridge on Saturday, March 16.