Box Score

TEMPE, Ariz. â€" The USD Softball team lost their season opener 8-6 to Cal Poly (2-0) Friday afternoon at the Kajikawa Classic at Arizona State. Sophomore OF Taylor Spence went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a stolen base.

The Toreros got off to a rough start to the season after the Mustangs' Amanda Sandoval led off the game with a solo home run to left field.

USD evened the score in the bottom of the first with small ball. Taylor Spence led off the inning with a single through the left side and promptly stole second. After Hannah Gilliland sacrificed her to second, Spence would score on a passed ball to even tie the game at 1-1.

The Mustangs retook the lead in the top of the third. Chelsea Convissar doubled to the right-center gap and then Stephanie Heyward hit a two run home run, giving Cal Poly a 3-1 lead.

The Toreros answered again in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs on two hits. Lauren Berriatua was hit by a pitch and then Spence collected another single, setting up Gilliland, who blasted a three run home run to give USD a 4-3 lead.

However, the lead wouldn't last long as the Mustangs responded with four runs in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and second, Cal Poly hit back-to-back doubles, scoring three runs. Heyward then added another RBI with a single up the middle, which gave them a 7-4 lead and ended Megan Sabbatini's day.

USD cut into their deficit in the bottom of the fifth. The inning began with Spence hitting her third single of the day; which was followed by an Olivia Sandusky single. Lauren Kane, the 2016 WCC Freshman of the Year, knocked in Spence with a single to right and then Kailey Hill brought Sandusky home with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Mustangs added an insurance run in the seventh with a Makenna Young solo home run off Lauren Berriatua.

Megan Sabbatini took the loss, allowing four earned runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings pitched.

The top three spots of the order combined to go 6-for-10, but the rest of the lineup hit only 1-for-13.

The Toreros next game is Friday next against Arizona State at 6:00 p.m. PT. The game will be streamed live here.