FULLERTON, Calif. – Junior Alexis Gonzalez belted her eighth home run of the season in the bottom of the first, but the Cal State Fullerton softball team could not overcome a five-run fifth inning by Long Beach State as it dropped an 8-4 contest to the 49ers Friday night.
With the loss, the Titans fall to 39-12 overall and 13-2 in the Big West Conference, while the 49ers improve to 28-18 on the year and 8-7 in league action.
"That was tough, but it's going to be a learning experience for us," Cal State Fullerton head coach Kelly Ford said of the loss. "That exposed some things that we need to work on. But, there is a gift in that series. We have to clean up a few things. So that is going to make us better.
"We're going to bounce back. We're going to respond. I'm excited for the next six games and where that is going to lead us."
Titans jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Alexis Gonzalez in the bottom of the first. With Missy Taukeiaho on second after drawing a one-out walk and stealing second, Gonzalez belted her eighth home run of the season to put Cal State Fullerton up 2-0 on Long Beach State.
The 49ers cut the Titans' lead in half in the top of the third when Tierra Falo led off the frame with a single through the right side and later came around to score on a fielder's choice by LT Torres to make it a 2-1 game in favor of Cal State Fullerton.
Cal State Fullerton starter Desiree Ybarra did a good job in the circle as she allowed two runs on as many hits in 4.0+ innings of work. However, the senior lefty was pulled in the top of the fifth after issuing a leadoff walk to Tierra Falo.
With Cerissa Rivera on in relief, the 49ers scored five runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-2 advantage over Cal State Fullerton.
During the fifth, Long Beach State sent eight batters to the plate and LT Torres roped a two-run single to left to give the 49ers a 3-2 edge. The 49ers added two more runs on a triple by Darian Tautalafua as they went up 5-2. Julia Lombardi's sac fly scored the final run of the frame as the 49ers were now leading 6-2.
Long Beach State tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth to extend their lead over the Titans to six and make it an 8-2 ballgame before Christina Washington came on in relief of Rivera.
Down by six, The Titans' started putting together a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Courtney Rodriguez punched a one-out single to leftfield before moving to third on a single to right by Kylie Padilla. Pinch hitter Mikaela Francis drew a walk to load the bases and Raeanne Martinez came in to run at first.
With two outs, Delynn Rippy sent a single to the right-centerfield gap plating Rodriguez and Padilla to cut the 49ers' lead in half. However the Titans' rally was cut short when Martinez was thrown out on the base paths to end the inning.
Long Beach State pitcher Christina Clermont (18-8) earned the win after retiring the Titans in order in the bottom of the seventh. She pitched all 7.0 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, while walking three and fanning three.
Rivera (4-2) suffered the loss after she allowed six runs on three hits. She issued three walks and recorded one strikeout.
Gonzalez went 1-for-4 in the game with a run scored and two RBIs, while Padilla was 2-for-3 with a run and Rippy was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.
Prior to the series against Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton had won 13 straight games and had not lost a game in the month of April.
Cal State Fullerton looks to get back on the winning track heading into the month of May as it heads to Northridge, Calif., to take on CSUN on Friday, May 6 in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The three-game series at CSUN will conclude Saturday, May 7 at 1 p.m.