April 28, 2007
Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two
DAVIS, CA - Cal State Fullerton Head Coach Michelle Gromacki won her 300th career game and the Titans got stellar pitching performances from seniors Candice Baker and Brooke Weekley to sweep a doubleheader from UC Davis by the scores of 3-0 and 3-1 in 13 innings on Saturday afternoon at La Rue Field in Davis, Calif.
The wins improved Fullerton to 29-18 overall while Gromacki improved to 301-154 (.662) in her eighth season at the helm of the program. The Aggies fell to 28-22-1 overall with the losses.
In the opener, Baker (17-10) tossed 6 2/3 innings of no-hit softball before Sarah O'Neill singled down the right field line with two outs in the seventh for the Aggies' lone hit of the contest. Baker struck out eight in the complete-game effort to clinch her ninth shutout of the season.
Fullerton got on the board quickly in the first as senior Ashley Van Boxmeer drew a two-out walk and came home one batter later as sophomore Lauren Lupinetti doubled to the gap in left centerfield to make it 1-0.
The Titans added a two-spot in the fifth as Baker and Crystal Vieyra each drew walks and both came home on Jessica Doucette's double to centerfield to make it 3-0.
That was more than enough for Baker, who walked five on the afternoon, but was not hurt by any of the free bases. Only two of the six baserunners for the Aggies reached second base.
Lupinetti finished with two of the Titans' three hits for the game, later adding a single in the sixth.
In the nightcap, Weekley struck out 10 while pitching all 13 innings and Lupinetti's one-out RBI single through the left side snapped a 1-1 tie as the Titans emerged with a 3-1 victory in the three-hour, 32-minute affair.
Weekley (8-3), the reigning Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week, lived up to the award on Saturday, allowing just one run on eight hits and walking only two while winning her fifth start in six chances this season.
The game was the longest of the season for the Titans in terms of both innings and time of game. Saturday's game was the longest for Cal State Fullerton since 1994 in a 13-inning, 4-0, loss to Cal State Northridge.
Both Weekley and UC Davis starter Jessica Hancock posted zeroes through the first five innings with the Titans managing only two baserunners on a pair of walks while the Aggies stranded five on four hits and a fielder's choice.
Fullerton broke the deadlock in the sixth as Doucette doubled to the gap in right centerfield and was run for by Tiffany Hoff. Sophomore Courtney Martinez then followed with a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by Hancock, allowing Hoff to come all the way around to score and make it 1-0.
UC Davis answered with the tying run in its half of the sixth as Julie Stauder tripled to left centerfield to lead-off the inning and came home two batters later on Deanna Menapace's sac fly to right.
Weekley and Hancock then buckled down, putting up zeroes over the next six innings with each team leaving runners in scoring position in that span. The Aggies stranded a pair in scoring position in the 11th and 12th innings while the Titans had the go-ahead run at third in the 10th.
Fullerton finally broke through with the winning runs in the 13th as Baker led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice by Doucette and came home to score on a single by Lupinetti (her first hit of the game in six at-bats) to make it 2-1.
Martinez, who walked following Doucette's sacrifice, then added an insurance run as she came around to score on a single by Katie Gollhardt to make it 3-1 and drive Hancock from the game. Lauren Pieretti came on to get the final out and end any further threat.
Weekley then escaped a jam in the bottom of the inning after a single by Trish Paine and a fielder's choice by Stauder started the inning. Weekley struckout Nikki Sheldon and induced Menapace into a game-ending groundout to third to secure the win.
Five different players accounted for the Titans' hits on the day while Stauder and O'Neill each finished with two hits on the day for the Aggies.
The two teams conclude their series on Sunday afternoon (April 28) at 12 p.m.