April 27, 2008
NORTHRIDGE, CA - Senior righthander Jessica Doucette tossed a six-hit complete-game shutout while senior Kiki Munoz finished 3-for-3 with a home run to help lift the visiting Titans to a 7-0 victory over Cal State Northridge on Sunday afternoon at Matador Diamond.
The win moves Fullerton, winners of six of its last seven, to 24-23-1 overall and 8-7 in league play, putting the Titans over the .500 mark for the first time since March 22. The loss dropped the Matadors to 18-23 overall and 7-8 in the Big West.
Doucette (12-11) struck out five while walking only one, preserving the shutout by stranding seven runners on the day - four in scoring position. Mercedes Lovato (15-13), who shutout the Titans on five hits in game one of the series, suffered the loss after allowing five runs on six hits in only 2 1/3 innings of work before being lifted in favor of Amanda Pitzenberger, who pitched the final 4 2/3 innings in relief.
The Titans broke up the shutout in a big way with a five-run third inning, sending nine batters to the plate to take control of the contest.
Crystal Vieyra and Katie Gollhardt led off the inning with back-to-back singles and were both moved up on a sacrifice by Ari Cervantes. After an intentional walk was issued to Munoz, Doucette helped her own cause with an RBI single to left to make it 1-0.
Lauren Lupinetti drove home the second run by drawing a bases-loaded walk and freshman K.C. Craddick delivered the big blow with a two-run single to center for the 4-0 advantage and chase Lovato from the circle.
After a fly ball for the second out, Jenna Wheeler came through with an RBI single to left for the 5-0 lead.
The contest remained that way until the seventh when Munoz led off the inning with her second home run in as many days and Wheeler added a sacrifice fly later in the frame for the final run.
Sunday's game marked the 10th time this season that the Titans had reached double figures in hits and the 12 hits were the most for Fullerton since the Titans banged out the same number against Rutgers on March 8.
Aside from Munoz's three hits, Gollhardt and Doucette each finished with a pair of hits on the day while five other Titans finished with hits. Lauren Olivas finished 2-for-3 to lead the Matadors offensively.
Cal State Fullerton returns home for its final two series of the regular season, opening a six game homestand next weekend with a three-game series against league-leading Long Beach State. The series opens with a doubleheader on Saturday (May 3) at 12 p.m. with Sunday's single-game finale also starting at noon.