Box Score (PDF)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team dropped the final game of a three-game series with UC Riverside, 8-1, at Amy S. Harrison Field on Sunday afternoon. Fullerton captures its second Big West Conference series of the season after sweeping a doubleheader with UCR on Saturday.

The Highlanders (32-12, 4-5) used a two-run fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie, while Chelsea Ponce (24-8) tossed five strong innings to salvage a win over the visiting Titans (27-17, 5-4).

UCR began the decisive fourth with back-to-back infield singles from Rebecca Faulkner and Haley Harris. After Erika Campbell popped out for the first out of the inning, Kris DeAnda produced the third single of the frame to load the bases. Taylor Wright drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to center to score the tagging Faulkner, and Haley later scooted home on a wild pitch to put the Highlanders in front 3-1 which was all the offense UCR would need.

After being chased in just three innings of a 12-0 loss in the first game of the series and being the hard-luck loser in a 12-inning marathon in game two, Ponce bounced back nicely and held the Titans to just one run on three hits. The right-hander struggled with her control issuing six walks in the outing, but managed to get out of trouble as the Titans stranded 12 base runners over the course of the game. Faulker turned in the final two innings of scoreless relief, scattering three hits to pick up her fifth save of the season.  

UC Riverside jumped ahead quickly in the opening frame off a solo home run off the bat of Karina Romero. Fullerton responded with its only run of the game in the third when Missy Taukeiaho led off the inning by drawing a walk, and eventually came home to score on a two-out single up the box from Samantha Galarza to deadlock the game at one apiece.

The Highlanders erupted for another five runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-1 and put the game well out of reach.

CSF junior Jasmine Antunez (4-6) suffered the loss after surrendering two runs on two hits and struck out one. Fullerton starter Christina Washington combined to toss three and 1/3 innings and yielded five runs on six hits. Cerissa Rivera was the third Titans' pitcher to make an appearance, but gave up another run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning.   

Cal State Fullerton will continue its seven-game road trip at Big West rival Long Beach State for a single-game matchup on Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU to conclude the three-game series at 49er Softball Complex in Long Beach, Calif.

Game Notes: With a pair of long-balls over the weekend, Taukeiaho is now alone in fourth place on Fullerton's all-time home runs list with 30 in her career; Taukeiaho surpassed Monica Lucatero (29) and looks ahead to Ashley Van Boxmeer (32) for third on the charts…Fullerton now holds a 35-11 series record over the Highlanders, while being 4-4 on Sunday's and 4-4 on the road…With a pair of walks, Taukeiaho has reached base in 20 consecutive contests…Rodriguez (2-for-4) notched her team-high 21st multi-hit game of the 2015 campaign and extended her hitting-streak to six games.