April 3, 2010
FULLERTON, CA - Junior Torrie Anderson's seventh home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the ninth completed a comeback from three runs down and helped lift host Cal State Fullerton to a 5-3 extra-inning victory and a series sweep of UC Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon at Anderson Family Field.
The Titans (8-27, 3-0 in Big West Conference play) finish the weekend in sole possession of first place in the conference, winning their third straight contest and clinching their 100th win in 109 all-time games against the Gauchos in the history of the series.
UC Santa Barbara dropped its eighth consecutive game in falling to 9-25 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
Fullerton had to rally to tie the game with two outs in the seventh as Anderson doubled to right centerfield with two strikes and scored one batter later when Ari Cervantes smacked a two-strike single back up the middle to make it a 3-3 ballgame.
The Gauchos left the go-ahead runs on base in the eighth and ninth before Anderson and the Titans came through with the game-winner. Sophomore Krystal Heinle, who finished 2-for-3, got things started with a one-out single through the left side and pinch-runner Adriana Martinez moved to second on a wild pitch.
After a groundout moved Martinez to third, MeLinda Matsumoto was lifted after 3 2/3 innings of relief in favor of starter Lindsey Correa, who reentered to face Anderson after holding her hitless in her first two at-bats. Working the count even, Anderson then skied the third pitch over the wall in left center, scoring Martinez ahead of her to end the game.
Cervantes (4-13) earned the win in relief of Heinle, allowing just three hits and walking one in four innings of work. Heinle pitched well, allowing only one earned on seven hits in five innings.
Matsumoto (4-9) suffered the loss, allowing the tying run and credited with the go-ahead run on Anderson's round-tripper. Correa was stuck with the no-decision, allowing three runs on four hits in four innings. Krista Cobb pitched the fifth, allowing one hit and striking out one.
With big innings staking the Titans to big leads in the first two games of the series, it was UCSB's turn to jump out first with a big inning of its own in the third. Using their speed, the Gauchos seemingly had runners in scoring position the entire frame, scoring their first run on a throwing error and two more on an RBI fielder's choice by Allison Taylor and a run-scoring single by Jessica Beristianos.
Fullerton rallied back with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings as senior Kadie Baldwin have the Titans their first run with an RBI single that scored Cervantes and Heinle helped her own cause with her second home run of the year over the wall in left to knock Correa from the game, making it a one-run contest and set the stage for their seventh-inning rally.
Anderson, who moved into a tie for 10th place on the school's career home run list with her game winner, finished 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI to lead Fullerton while Cervantes (2-for-4) and Heinle finished with multiple hits. Beristianos led the Gauchos with a 3-for-4 day while Jessica Ziegler was 3-for-5 from her leadoff spot.
Cal State Fullerton returns to the diamond next weekend to open a three-game series with UC Riverside at Anderson Family Field after the Highlanders took two of three from defending league champion Cal Poly this weekend. The series opens on Saturday (April 10) with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. before a Sunday single game, also at noon.