May 6, 2007
FULLERTON, CA - Cal State Fullerton sophomore Lauren Lupinetti's three-run walk-off home run put an exclamation point on the Titans' eighth-straight "Senior Day" victory as they salvaged the third game of the series against visiting Cal Poly by a 7-5 score on Sunday afternoon at Anderson Family Field.
With the win Fullerton improved to 31-20 overall and 10-5 in the Big West Conference, just a game back of the first-place Mustangs in the standings heading into the final weekend of conference play. Cal Poly fell to 36-15 overall, 11-4 in league play.
The Titans led the entire game before Cal Poly took advantage of three Fullerton errors in the final two innings and Krysten Cary slugged a three-run home run with nobody out in the top of the seventh to cap a four-run inning for the Mustangs.
Cal State Fullerton then put the leadoff hitter on in its half of the seventh as Jessica Doucette helped her own cause with a single to right. Ashley Van Boxmeer then dribbled an infield single to left side to put a pair on for Lupinetti, who sent a 1-0 pitch from reliever Robyn Kontra (11-6) over the fence in left field for the win.
It was Lupinetti's first walk-off hit of her Titans career and the second for a Fullerton player this season.
Doucette (6-5) earned the win in the circle for the Titans, allowing four earned on nine hits, walking two and striking out seven in the complete-game effort.
Fullerton got on the board first in the second inning as Kiki Munoz led off with a single and moved to third when Katie Gollhardt's sacrifice attempt was thrown away, putting runners on the corners.
That brought up Jenna Wheeler, who skied a pitch into right field, deep enough to score Munoz from third for the 1-0 lead.
The Titans added single runs in the fourth on an RBI single to right by Shelia Holguin and tacked on two more runs in the fifth and sixth on home runs by Van Boxmeer and Gollhardt.
Cal Poly finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth thanks to a pair of Titan errors, cutting the deficit to 4-1, and setting the stage for the dramatic seventh inning.
The first three Mustangs reached base in the frame to make it 4-2 as Melissa Pura's RBI fielder's choice scored Lisa Modglin. Cary then stepped up and slugged her ninth home run of the year to the opposite field on a 2-2 pitch to give Cal Poly their first lead of the afternoon.
Van Boxmeer and Munoz each finished with two hits on the afternoon while five different Titans contributed RBIs.
Cal State Fullerton closes out its 2007 regular season next weekend with a Friday-Saturday series at UC Riverside. Friday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. with Saturday's single game beginning at noon.