FULLERTON, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton (21-20, 6-1 BWC) couldn't match the Long Beach State (33-7, 7-0 BWC) offense on Friday night, falling to the 49ers 11-2 for their first conference loss of the season.
Sophie Frost got the start in the circle for the Titans and for the first time in almost two months, did not go the distance. She went six innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits and two walks falling to 9-5 on the season. Just nine days after a procedure to remove a few spots on her lung, freshman Taylor Dockins made her way into the circle in the seventh. However, she struggled only recording two outs while giving up four runs on three hits and a walk while striking out one. Hannah Johnson came in to finish the ballgame getting a fly out to the lone batter she faced.
Offensively, it was an off night for Fullerton only recording five hits in the contest. Three of those hits went to Bryanna Ybarra who went 3-3 at the plate with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Shianne Brannan recorded an RBI double and Sammie Vandiver recorded the only other hit for Fullerton.
It was a rough start as Long Beach plated four runs in the top half of the first before Fullerton even recorded an out. A fielding error from Zoe Richard was the killer in the inning as two runs came in to score on it and the Titans had an immediate deficit to try and overcome.
That would be a tough task facing arguably the best pitcher in the Big West in Cielo Meza. The Titans struck for their first run of the ballgame in the second thanks to back-to-back doubles from Ybarra and Brannan. It was the first run Meza had allowed in conference play.
The game flew by as neither team could make any noise until the sixth inning when Jamie Wren connected for a solo shot to lead off the sixth for the 49ers. The Titans answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth after Brooke Clemetson worked a walk and Ybarra drove her in with a single into right field.
Unfortunately, the Long Beach would explode for six runs in the top of the seventh and that would spell the end for Fullerton.
The Titans will look to bounce back and take the series tomorrow with a double-header against Long Beach with the first game starting at 2:00 p.m.
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