By Long Beach State women’s softball (27-20) pitchers Shannon Haddad and Eryka Gonzales, dominated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (9-38), leading The Beach to a series sweep to close out the regular season at LBSU Softball Complex.
Friday, May 2, LBSU 2 – Cal Poly 1
A 10-inning pitchers’ duel between Haddad and Mustangs senior pitcher Kate Judy silenced opposing offenses for nine-straight scoreless innings.
LBSU had their first runner in scoring position in the sixth inning after a one-out triple by junior outfielder Makayla Medellin.
Judy escaped the inning untouched with an inning-ending groundout.
“The Cal Poly pitcher (Judy) did a nice job of keeping us off balance,” LBSU head coach Kim Sowder said. “It was tough to score.”
Haddad and Judy traded a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, combining for six and sending the pitchers’ duel into extras.
Haddad tossed a career-high 10 innings, struck out seven, allowed one run and tossed 134 pitches to earn her ninth win of the season.
LBSU senior pitcher Shannon Haddad outdueled Cal Poly pitcher Kate Judy on the first leg of the double header on Friday afternoon. She pitched a career-high in innings pitched with 10 and eight strikeouts. Photo credit: Mark Siquig.
Cal Poly sophomore outfielder Kiara Blanchard led off the 10th inning with a single. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a two-out RBI single by freshman Sienna Erskine, giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.
LBSU junior shortstop Selena Perez led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single and a dropped ball by Cal Poly allowed senior outfielder Jacquelyn Bickar to reach safety off a bunt.
After a one-out intentional walk to Medellin, freshman infielder Priscilla Iniguez hit a hard ground ball that deflected off Erskine’s glove, allowing Perez and Bickar to score and secure Iniguez’s first career walk-off for The Beach.
LBSU freshman first base Priscilla Iniguez hits walks it off for The Beach on the first game of the double-header on Friday afternoon versus Cal Poly Mustangs. She capitalized on a bases loaded situation after the Mustangs decided to walk Makayla Medellin. Photo credit: Mark Siquig
“I wanted to get a hard hit in the ground to at least score a run and it happened. I’m very happy,” Iniguez said.
Friday, May 2, LBSU 9 – Cal Poly 0
LBSU President Jane Close Conoley kicked off game two by stepping into the pitcher’s circle and delivering the ceremonial first pitch.
After a quiet offensive showing in game one, the Mustangs threatened early with back-to-back walks against The Beach’s senior pitcher Eryka Gonzales.
However, Cal Poly came up empty after a flyout to third stranded two runners.
LBSU responded with an offensive surge — Bickar drew a leadoff walk, followed by an infield single by senior infielder Carly Robbins. A hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for game one standout Iniguez.
Iniguez delivered a 2-RBI single to give The Beach a 2-0 lead. Senior outfielder Corissa Sweet hit an RBI infield single, making it three runs for LBSU before their first out.
The bases loaded once again after a walk to senior catcher Rebekah Durazo, forcing a call to Cal Poly’s bullpen.
“It was nice to get off to a good start. The frustration of the first game, we wanted to get things going early, and we did have a lot of good at-bats,” Sowder said.
Gonzales shut down the Mustangs, giving up just two hits over four innings of work, before sophomore pitcher Kate Barnett ended the night in the fifth for Cal Poly, shutting them out 9-0.
Saturday, May 3, LBSU 1 – Cal Poly 0
Senior Day for The Beach welcomed 763 fans, as friends and family of the athletes brought flowers and wore shirts of the senior players in support.
After a 10-inning pitching duel in game one that featured 263 total pitches, both Haddad and Judy took the mound to start the final regular-season game.
Haddad pitched two clean innings before being pulled to a standing ovation and replaced by Gonzales.
Judy, in a similar fashion to her last appearance, kept The Beach offense quiet until the sixth inning.
A fielding error on a ground ball hit by Durazo brought LBSU’s offense to life. Due to Durazo still recovering from a sprained ankle, she was replaced by pinch runner sophomore infielder Sophia Stein.
Stein advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore infielder Avery Weisbrook, leading to a RBI pinch-hit single from sophomore catcher Brooklyn Lee, giving The Beach a 1-0 lead into the seventh.
Gonzales held the Mustangs silent once again, throwing five clean innings, allowing just three hits, to sweep Cal Poly, ending the regular season on a six-game win streak.
“The last inning, knowing that I just had to get three outs, I was really trying to soak it all in,” Gonzales said. “I’ve given this program my heart, and they’ve given it right back… I knew I had to go out there and do my best for them.”
The Beach finished third in the Big West, clinching a spot in the first-ever Big West Softball tournament, beginning on May 7 at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton.
