LONG BEACH, Calif. – After trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the third inning, Long BeachState scored seven runs with two outs and Erin Jones-Wesley tossed her second straight complete game giving the 49ers a 7-4 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Sunday afternoon at 49ers Softball Complex in Long Beach, Calif.
The win gives the 49ers their third straight Big West series win as they improve to 25-15 overall and 7-2 in the Big West, while the Titans fall to 16-22 overall and 3-6 in conference play. The seven-run inning was the biggest inning allowed to an opponent all season for the Titans.
Long Beach State has now won five straight conference series over Cal State Fullerton and the last time the Titans won a series versus LBSU was in 2008 in Fullerton, Calif. The 49ers have also won eight of the last ten meetings between the two teams.
Catcher Ariel Tsuchiyama got the game started with a single up the middle and would eventually score after Desiree Ybarra hit an RBI single to right field. The first three Titan batters of the game would reach base, but the Titans would be unable to bring them in stranding Ashley Carter and pinch runner Jena Rubio on second and third, respectively.
The Titans would extend their lead in the third inning to 4-0 after Gabby Aragon belted a 1-2 pitch to the left center gap bringing home Ashley Carter and Eliza Crawford and while on her way to third Aragon would score after Long Beach Shortstop Shayna Kimbrough overthrew third baseman Hannah De Gaetano allowing the ball to go in the dugout. Jones-Wesley would then get Jasmine Antunez to pop up to end the inning.
Long Beach State would answer with seven runs in the bottom half of the third. After back-to-back singles from first baseman Ashley Holmes and Dana Garcia, Kimbrough would lay down a sacrifice bunt moving the runners up a base. After a mound visit by head coach Kelly Ford, Antunez would get Leilani Tupua-Tautalatsi to strike out before handing the ball off to Ybarra. Ybarra would issue consecutive walks to De Gaetano and Tautalafua giving the 49ers their first run of the game. Karli Sandoval and Nalani St. Germain would continue the two-out rally with singles up the middle tying the game at four. After the single by St. Germain, Antunez re-entered the game giving up a three run home-run to Sarah Carrasco.
The Titans and 49ers would go scoreless for the rest of the game as Jones-Wesley (13-6) tossed all seven innings giving up four runs, three earned, off eight hits. The junior struck out five and only allowed two hits after the third inning. Desiree Ybarra (5-9) records the loss for the Titans after giving up four runs off two hits and didn't record an out. Antunez started the game and threw six innings giving up three runs off six hits, while striking out two.
Gabby Aragon was 1-for-2 with two RBI's as she gets her first hit since returning from an injury.
The Titans return to Anderson Family Field Wednesday April 10 as they face the San Diego State Aztecs at 6 p.m. and will continue conference play at home on Saturday (April 13) and Sunday (April 14) against Hawai'i. Long Beach continues play next week at home versus Cal State Northridge and then travels to Stockton, Calif. for a three-game series versus Pacific.