RIVERSIDE – Sophomore lefthander Anna Cahn’s first-inning three-run homer during the opening game of a Friday doubleheader against UC Riverside propelled the No. 21 Cal Poly softball team to an 8-2 victory while junior lefthander Helen Peña scattered five hits in a 4-0 complete-game nightcap win as the Mustangs moved two steps closer to clinching their second Big West Conference title in three seasons and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth with a doubleheader sweep of the Highlanders at Amy S. Harrison Field.

 

Cal Poly (38-10, 17-3) entered play Friday leading second-place Cal State Fullerton (28-19, 16-4) by a single game atop the Big West standings. The Titans, who own the tiebreaker advantage for the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth should they finish level with Cal Poly, swept a Friday doubleheader from UC Santa Barbara, 4-2 and 2-1, in nine innings. That series was relocated to Cal Poly’s Bob Janssen Field due to the Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara.

 

Cal Poly, which completes the regular season versus the Highlanders Saturday at 12 noon, need only defeat UC Riverside to collect the conference crown. The field of 64 teams for the NCAA Tournament will be unveiled Sunday, May 10 on ESPNU at 7 p.m. PST

 

Cal Poly, which has already set new single-season program records for overall winning percentage (.792), conference winning percentage (.850), conference victories, fewest conference defeats and fewest overall defeats, can match the 2007 Mustang squad’s program record of 39 victories with a triumph Saturday against the Highlanders.

 

Cal Poly led from the onset during the opener as UC Riverside starting righthander Stephanie Marshall (6-13) yielded consecutive one-out walks to senior second baseman Stephanie Tam and junior first baseman Krysten Cary before Cahn bounced her fifth homer of the season off and over the right field fence.

 

Senior shortstop Melissa Pura followed with a hit through the left side of the infield before sophomore catcher Stephanie Correia drew a walk from righthanded reliever Marissa Alvidrez. A passed ball from Highlanders catcher Quinn Redman later scored Pura to hand the Mustangs a 4-0 advantage before freshman right fielder Nora Sobczak capped Cal Poly’s scoring with a run-scoring hit that plated Correia.

 

Staked the lead before she threw a pitch, Cahn (26-5) allowed a run-scoring hit to Alvidrez in the first and a similar effort to center fielder Krystal Marquez during the second. Cal Poly, however, added three runs in the third as senior center fielder Jessica Rogers produced a two-out single to score Pura before a throwing error from UC Riverside third baseman Brooke Hebenton plated Rogers and senior third baseman Cristen Lee to hand the Mustangs their 8-2 win.  

 

Cahn allowed just three hits during the final five innings and only two Highlanders into scoring position in furthering her program single-season records for victories and innings pitched (226.2).

 

In the nightcap, Cal Poly broke a scoreless deadlock during the third as consecutive two-out singles by Pura and Correia were followed by a run-scoring base hit up the middle by Lee.

 

Cal Poly doubled its total in the fifth. After Lee reached base with a fielder’s choice, Alvidrez – again on in relief – threw past first baseman Katie Curtis on a ball batted by Rogers. The resulting error allowed Lee to reach home from first.

 

The Mustangs, who stranded 14 runners in game No. 2, completed their scoring in the fifth as a one-out fielder’s choice from Cahn allowed senior left fielder Jenna Maiden to slide home safely from third. Two batters later, Correia drew a walk to load the bases for Lee, who singled to plate Tam for the final margin of victory.

 

Peña (above) failed to yield a walk or allow a Highlander past second in improving to 11-5.

 

Lee finished game No. 2 with her fifth three-hit game of the season.