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The University of Hawaii softball team’s Big West skid reached seven games on Saturday as Cal Poly won both ends of a doubleheader to complete a series sweep at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Mustangs (25-16, 7-5 BWC) clinched the series win with a 7-6 win in eight innings in the first game. Cal Poly then closed out the sweep with a 4-1 victory in the finale.
UH (19-22, 4-8) is in the midst of its longest losing streak since early in the 2009 season. The Rainbow Wahine were swept at home for the first time since 2011.
Cal Poly withstood two UH rallies in the late innings of Saturday’s first game and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on Emily Ceccacci’s two-out single.
The Mustangs took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning on back-to-back home runs by Courtney Tyler and Sierra Hyland.
Leisha Li’ili’i led off the bottom of the sixth with an opposite-field home run to tie the game.
After starting the top of the seventh with two groundouts, Cal Poly strung together four hits, including three doubles, off of UH freshman Heather Morales to reclaim the lead.
Morales and Kristina Akiona singled in the bottom of the seventh and Kayla Wartner launched her fifth home run of the season to tie the game again.
UH left two runners on base in the seventh to extend the game into the eighth and Cal Poly again struck with two outs. Ceccacci drilled a single up the middle to score Jillian Andersen from second with the go-ahead run.
Hyland retired UH in order in the bottom of the inning to earn her second win of the series and raise her record to 21-7.
The Mustangs bolted ahead in the series finale on another two-out hit. With runners on second and third, Andersen beat out a slow grounder to second and both runners came around to score.
Ashley Romano scored Cal Poly’s third run after leading off the top of the fifth with a double down the left-field line. She advanced on a bunt and scored Lauren Moreno’s groundout to second.
The Wahine broke through in the seventh when Lindsey Willmon singled to center with Sarina Jaramillo on second and a bobble in the outfield allowed Jaramillo to score.
Chloe Wurst held UH without a hit for 4 1/3 innings, gave up six in the last two innings and held on for the complete-game win. She struck out eight and walked none.
Loie Kesterson (10-11) gave up nine hits and took the loss.
