Courtesy of the Big West
Mitchell Leads Matadors to 4-1 Start at Kajikawa ClassicCSUN junior Maylynn Mitchell (Seattle, Wash./Mt. Rainier HS) topped off an impressive first week of the softball season with her selection as Big West Softball Field Player of the Week.
Mitchell batted .500 (7-for-14) with seven RBI as the Matadors finished the Kajikawa Classic with a 4-1 record, including wins over Wisconsin of the Big Ten Conference as well as Stanford and host Arizona State of the Pac-12.
The third baseman sparked CSUN’s offense in the tournament finale, an 8-6 victory in eight inning against the No. 16-ranked Sun Devils. She keyed a six-run fourth inning with a two-RBI single. After Arizona State used a three-run seventh to tie the game at 6-6, Mitchell delivered the game-winning RBI in the top half of the eighth with a single to right field. It was CSUN’s first win versus the Sun Devils since 2003.
Mitchell also had an RBI in a 7-5 win against Stanford, CSUN’s first win against the Cardinal since 2001. She hit safely in all five games and had RBI in four of them, including a 2-for-3, two-RBI performance against New Mexico.
CSUN is off to its best start since 2005.
Others nominated: Courtney Tyler (Cal Poly); Missy Taukeiaho (Cal State Fullerton); Lauren Lombardi (Long Beach State); Arianna Palomares (UC Santa Barbara); Leisha Li’ili’i (Hawai‘i)
Hyland Posts 3-0 Record at Kajikawa Classic
Cal Poly sophomore Sierra Hyland posted a 3-0 record, including two one-hitters, to earn Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week accolades after a strong start for the Mustangs at the Arizona State-hosted Kajikawa Classic.
Making four appearances with three starts, Hyland finished with a 1.08 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 26.0 innings of work. She allowed 13 hits and gave up just four earned runs throughout the tournament.
The right hander tossed a complete game one-hit shutout in Cal Poly’s season-opening 1-0 victory over Creighton. Hyland set down 14 Blue Jays via the strikeout. Hyland fanned 11 more BYU hitters in a 3-1 win the next day, allowing just one run to go the distance for the second time in the tournament.
Hyland’s final performance resulted in her second complete game shutout as she dominated Oregon State’s lineup to the tune of 10 strikeouts in a 1-0 victory.
In addition to recording the three double-digit strikeout performances, Hyland held opposing hitters to a collective .140 average.
Others nominated: Brianna Elder (CSUN); Chelsea Ponce (UC Riverside); Kanani Aina Cabrales (Hawai‘i) – See more at: http://www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=18239#sthash.5BVFQAZG.dpuf
