April 22, 2006
STOCKTON, CA - The Cal State Fullerton offense continued its slugging ways on Saturday afternoon, blasting five home runs on the day en route to a doubleheader sweep of first-place Pacific by the scores of 3-0 in game one and 11-3 in five innings in game two at Simoni Field in Stockton, Calif.
With the victories, the Titans improved to 27-19 overall and 8-3 in the Big West Conference. The Tigers fell to 24-17 overall and 5-3 in conference action.
In game one, sophomore Jenna Wheeler broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with an RBI double and senior Marissa Marzan tossed a four-hit, complete-game shutout as the Titans downed the Tigers, 3-0.
Marzan (8-6) did not allow a run on four hits, all singles, en route to her third shutout and eighth complete game of the year. Brianna Santos (9-4) suffered the loss, allowing two earned on three hits, walking four and striking out five in the loss.
Wheeler, who finished 2-for-3 on the day, lined a shot down the left field line in the fourth with one out after Santos walked Katie Gollhardt and Ashley Van Boxmeer in back-to-back plate appearances for the 1-0 lead.
The Titans made it 2-0 in the sixth as Van Boxmeer slugged her 10th home run of the season with one out, taking a full count offering from Santos and depositing it over the right centerfield fence.
Junior Candice Baker made it 3-0 in the seventh off reliever Heidi Helberg, slugging her third home run of the season to centerfield with two outs.
After a narrow win in game one, the Titans exploded in game two as eight different players had hits and Cal State Fullerton scored in four of the five innings on the afternoon en route to the 11-3, five-inning victory.
The Titans scored early against starter Alyce Jorgensen (4-4) as sophomore Amanda Kamekona led off the game with a walk and scored three batters later on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
Fullerton made it 2-0 in the second, scoring Tiffany Hoff on an RBI single by Ashlee Weatherford to right centerfield. The Titans then broke the game wide open with three runs in the third as Courtney Martinez hit her third home run of the season, Wheeler drove home another run on an RBI fielder's choice, and Crystal Vieyra added an RBI double to make it 5-0.
Pacific struck back with a pair in the third on a throwing error and a single by Kristen Allen to close the gap to 5-2. The Tigers would inch closer in the fourth on an RBI double by Gina Carbonatto to make it 5-3, but that would be it for the Tigers.
The Titans scored six times in the fifth, all with two outs, as Van Boxmeer reached on a single and scored on Wheeler's sixth home run of the season and Fullerton capped the scoring on a grand slam by Baker after a Vieyra double and a pair of walks to Marzan and Weatherford for the 11-3 advantage.
Marzan (9-6) earned the win in relief, tossing 1 2/3 innings, alloing an unearned run on two hits and striking out one.
The series concludes on Sunday (April 23) at noon with a single game at Simoni Field.