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Tam's Walk-Off Homer Helps Cal Poly Halve Second-Day Schedule at the Capital Classic

BOX SCORES: NEVADA / PRINCETON

SACRAMENTO – Junior Stephanie Tam’s first home run of the season couldn’t have come at a better time for the Cal Poly softball team, as the second baseman’s walk-off shot sent the Mustangs past Princeton at Sacramento State’s Capital Classic competition Saturday afternoon, 5-4. Earlier during the day, junior center fielder Jenna Maiden homered for the second time in as many days, but Cal Poly dropped a 5-2 decision to Nevada at the Sacramento Softball ...

Published Mar 15th, by Chris Giovannetti

SACRAMENTO – Junior Stephanie Tam’s first home run of the season couldn’t have come at a better time for the Cal Poly softball team, as the second baseman’s walk-off shot sent the Mustangs past Princeton at Sacramento State’s Capital Classic competition Saturday afternoon, 5-4. Earlier during the day, junior center fielder Jenna Maiden homered for the second time in as many days, but Cal Poly dropped a 5-2 decision to Nevada at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

Against Princeton (3-8), Cal Poly (11-13) opened the scoring during the second inning, as a one-out double into center field from freshman designated player Anna Cahn scored junior shortstop Melissa Pura from second base. Later in the inning, Tigers starter Kristen Schaus unleashed a pair of wild pitches to score sophomore first baseman Krysten Cary and Cahn for a 3-0 Mustang advantage.

Cal Poly (11-13), which compiled six hits, collected just a lone Sara Kryza single during the ensuing four innings while Princeton usurped the Mustang lead. The Tigers broke through against Cal Poly starter Robyn Kontra in the fourth, as first baseman Jamie Lettire doubled to lead off the inning before scoring on designated player Collette Abbott’s two-bagger to left field. An inning later, Kontra dealt a two-out, full-count walk to shortstop Kathryn Welch before right fielder Kelsey Quist deadlocked the scoreline with a homer to center field. Three pitcher later, Lettire homered to right field to give Pacific a 4-3 lead.

In the seventh, Maiden (above) singled with one out before Tam deposited her third collegiate homer over the left field fence.

Cahn (3-6) earned the victory against Pacific after tossing the final two and one-third innings without allowing a hit.

During the day’s opener against Nevada (19-10), Maiden earned her first RBI of the game with a two-out single in the second that scored Cary for a 1-0 Mustang lead. An inning later, the Wolf Pack knotted the game as shortstop Danielle Patrick singled to score third baseman Sam Bias.

Nevada secured the winning margin in the fourth, as designated player Michelle Beach, Patrick and center fielder Tyler Schafer all produced run-scoring hits to deliver the Wolf Pack a 4-1 lead.

The Wolf Pack added a run during the fifth before Maiden completed the scoring with a leadoff homer in the seventh. Maiden – whose first collegiate hit was a homer against the Wolf Pack March 3, 2007 – also swatted a grand slam during Friday’s 5-0 victory against Northern Colorado.

Despite striking out six Nevada hitters without yielding a walk, Cahn suffered the loss.

Pura also recorded two hits for Cal Poly, which completes Capital Classic action Sun., March 16 against Colorado State at 11 a.m.