SAN LUIS OBISPO – Sophomore lefthander Anna Cahn struck out five hitters and, aided by a season-best three double plays, faced the minimum amount of Pacific hitters through six innings as the No. 21 and Big West Conference-leading Cal Poly softball team completed its 2009 regular season home schedule at Bob Janssen Field Sunday afternoon with a 6-3 victory against Pacific.

 

Already Cal Poly’s single-season leader for wins (25-5) and innings pitched (219.2), Cahn (above) tossed 69 percent of her 102 pitches for strikes and senior shortstop Melissa Pura posted a 3-for-3 effort with two runs for Cal Poly (36-10, 15-2), which established new home single-season program records for victories (18-1) and winning percentage (.947). With Sunday’s triumph, Cal Poly – which has won 27 of its previous 31 contests – stayed one game ahead of second-place Cal State Fullerton (26-19, 14-4) in the Big West standings. The Titans swept a three-game weekend series from Cal State Northridge by posting a 3-1 Sunday win.

 

The Mustangs can secure both their second Big West title during the previous three seasons and the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth by sweeping UC Riverside May 8-9. The final series of the season opens with a 12 noon doubleheader Friday, May 8.

 

Honored prior to their final regular season home contest, seniors Pura, Cristen Lee and Jessica Rogers drew walks in the second inning to load the bases for junior pinch hitter Sara Kryza, who opened Cal Poly’s scoring with a single to right field.

 

Mustang junior Krysten Cary led off the third with a double to center field before a one-out single by Pura placed runners at the corner bases. Pacific starting righthander Gabby McDaniel (4-11) then unleashed a wild pitch to score Cary and, after walking sophomore catcher Stephanie Correia and Lee, unfurled a second errant ball to bring home Correia. Freshman right fielder Nora Sobczak greeted righthanded reliever Chelsea Engle with a single through the left side of the infield to score Lee and deliver the Mustangs a 4-0 lead.

 

Cal Poly senior second baseman Stephanie Tam reached on a throwing error by Tigers shortstop Nicole Matson to begin the fourth ahead of Pura’s team-leading eighth double of the season with one out. The next Mustang, Correia, then bounded a ball that took an errant skip in front of Pacific second baseman Casey Goldsand and allowed Cary and Pura to score and push Cal Poly’s advantage to 6-0.

 

Highlighted by run-scoring slaps from designated player Kellee Wilson and catcher Karie Wilson and a fielder’s choice from third baseman Amanda Collier, Pacific totaled all of its runs during the seventh to finalize the scoreline.

 

During her final regular season home contest, Lee reached base in each of her four plate appearances and, during the sixth, became just the fourth Mustang in program history to total 600 career at-bats.