NORTHRIDGE – Senior second baseman Stephanie Tam produced a two-out run-scoring single to account for the decisive margin and the No. 22 Cal Poly softball team received home runs from junior first baseman Krysten Cary and senior left fielder Jenna Maiden to edge Cal State Northridge in nine innings during the opening game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader, 6-5. Run-scoring hits by Maiden and senior shortstop Melissa Pura provided the edge in the nightcap as the Mustangs furthered their winning streak to nine-straight contests with a 2-1 victory.

 

Sophomore lefthander Anna Cahn (19-5) struck out five Matadors during the opening game and junior lefthander Helen Peña (10-4) scattered five hits in game No. 2 for Cal Poly (29-9, 9-2), which utilized the victories to remain level atop the Big West Conference standings with Cal State Fullerton (21-17, 9-2). After dropping the opening two conference games of the season at Cal State Fullerton March 28, the Mustangs have won a program-record nine-straight Big West contests. The current streak is Cal Poly’s lengthiest since winning 13-straight contests between March 1-22.

 

Cal Poly, which has never lost a series to Cal State Northridge under fifth-year head coach Jenny Condon, seeks its third sweep against the Matadors since the 2005 campaign when the two programs finalize the three-game series Sunday, April 19 at 12 noon.

 

The Mustangs led the Matadors from the onset during game No. 1, as Cary swatted her conference-leading 13th homer of the year over the left field wall in the first for a 1-0 advantage. With 10 regular-season games remaining, Cary requires three homers to match 2007 NFCA All-America selection Lisa Modglin’s single-season program record.

 

Cal Poly left the bases loaded to end the second before furthering its advantage to 5-0 during the third. Cary led off the inning with a single up the middle and after being sacrificed to second by Pura, Cahn produced a fly ball that bounced off the glove of Matador center fielder Alexandria Alvarado. The error placed two Mustangs in scoring position and after Correia dumped a single into short right field to plate Cary, Maiden delivered her second homer of the year over the left field wall.

 

A fielding error in the bottom half of the inning by Tam (above) allowed Alvarado to score from third and Cal State Northridge first baseman Jaclyn Rymer later delivered a run-scoring sacrifice fly as the Matadors cut Cal Poly’s lead to 5-2.

 

Cahn and the Mustangs held their advantage until the sixth, when Cal State Northridge second baseman Micah Putnam kickstarted the Matador rally with a leadoff triple. Designated player Krystal Mihm followed with a run-scoring base hit through the right side of the infield and shortstop Karla Chaparro later scored pinch runner Sarah Kahn-Shamout with a two-out single down the right field line. The next Matador, right fielder Christina Saenz, then grounded a ball that tipped off Tam’s glove and allowed left fielder Lauren Olivas to score from third and extend the game.

 

Cal Poly, playing its program-record fifth extra-inning game of 2009, twice advanced a baserunner into scoring position during the eighth, but failed to score. In the ninth, Mustang freshman right fielder Nora Sobczak earned a two-out walk before advancing to second via a single from senior third baseman Cristen Lee. Tam then rapped her eventual game-winning hit up the middle to score Sobczak.

 

Cary, the reigning Big West Player of the Week honoree, equaled a career-high effort with three hits while Lee and Tam both collected a pair for the Mustangs.

 

Cal Poly also led wire-to-wire during the nightcap, as Correia followed Cahn’s leadoff single in the second with her fourth double of the year. Maiden then delivered a single down the left field line to score Cahn.

 

Cal State Northridge equalized in the bottom half of the inning, as Olivas plated third baseman Tracy Allen with a single up the middle. Cal Poly broke the deadlock two innings later as Pura blooped a single into short left to score Tam from second for a 2-1 lead.

 

Peña tossed 73 percent of her 79 pitches for strikes to record the first double-digit win total of her career. Cahn finished with three hits for Cal Poly, while Pura, Correia and Maiden each collected two.