PALO ALTO – The Big West Conference-champion Cal Poly softball team was held to just three hits as the Mustangs were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with 4-0 loss to eighth-seeded and host Stanford during the championship game of the Palo Alto Regional Sunday afternoon at Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium.

 

Cal Poly (41-12), which entered NCAA Tournament play having never previously won a postseason game at the Division I level, lost its Friday opening matchup to Nevada (4-1) before stampeding through the loser’s bracket Saturday with elimination-matchup victories against Portland State (5-0) and the Wolf Pack (6-1). Cal Poly, which had already dropped a pair of one-run decisions against Pac-10 Conference runner-up Stanford (47-9) during the regular season, would have had to deal the Cardinal two defeats with the double-elimination format Sunday to advance to the Super Regional round against Arizona.

 

Stanford snatched the lead before Cal Poly had the chance to bat. Cardinal shortstop Ashley Hansen opened the threat by lining a one-out hit off the glove of a diving Melissa Pura at shortstop before Mustang starting lefthander Anna Cahn (28-7) struck third baseman Shannon Koplitz with a pitch. The Cal Poly pitching staff, which had failed to yield a base on balls in 24 and two-thirds inning entering the day, witnessed Cahn walk first baseman Melisa Koutz and then catcher Rosey Neill to force home Hansen for a 1-0 disadvantage.

 

In the second, Stanford again loaded the bases against Cahn, who dealt walks to left fielder Alissa Haber and Koplitz. With two outs, however, Cahn induced a timely ground out from second baseman Maddy Coon to end any threat.

 

The Mustangs, meanwhile, were held hitless by Cardinal starting righthander Missy Penna (34-6) until Pura (above) and Cahn collected consecutive singles to open the fourth. However, junior first baseman Krysten Cary and sophomore catcher Stephanie Correia swatted consecutive grounders to Koplitz at third that forced the lead baserunner out and Cal Poly senior third baseman Cristen Lee struck out to end the inning.

 

Cahn allowed a single hit to Stanford during both the third and fourth and set down the Cardinal in order during the fifth, but Cal Poly received just a sixth-inning single from Pura down the stretch and failed to notch an equalizing run.

 

Stanford placed the game out of Cal Poly’s reach during the final two innings. In the sixth, Cardinal center fielder Sarah Hassman tripled home designated player Jenna Becerra. The next Cardinal hitter, Haber, then doubled home Hassman. A run-scoring double by Koutz to plate Coon in the seventh finalized the scoreline.

 

Cahn, who set single-season program records for wins and innings pitched (252.2) in 2009, yielded seven hits.

 

Despite the loss, Cal Poly’s 2009 campaign ranked, by any measure, as the finest effort in the program’s 15-year Division I history. In capturing a second Big West title in three seasons, the Mustangs established program records for overall winning percentage (.774), conference winning percentage (.857), conference victories (18), fewest conference defeats (three) and fewest overall defeats. Additionally, the Mustangs earned their first national ranking in 12 seasons and rose to as high as No. 21 in the April 28 edition of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll.

 

Led by Cahn’s Big West Pitcher of the Year honor, a program-record nine Mustangs received all-conference consideration. Selections by Cahn and Cary to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-West Region Team marked the first time in program history that Cal Poly enjoyed dual honorees.

 

“We had a great season and it’s been something we’ve been building toward,” fifth year Cal Poly head coach Jenny Condon said. “We’ve set a foundation for things to come. We’ll be patient and get better each year. Overall, it’s hard to ask for a better year and no one should hand their head.”