May 12, 2007
RIVERSIDE, CA - Junior Jessica Doucette scattered just five hits in the complete-game effort and also hit a home run to help her own cause as visiting Cal State Fullerton swept the final series of the 2007 regular season with a 4-1 victory over host UC Riverside on Saturday afternoon at Amy S. Harrison Field.
The Titans, who won their final four games, finish the regular season 34-20 overall and 13-5 in Big West play. The Highlanders ended the season 16-37 overall and 0-18 in league action.
Doucette (8-5) won her second game of the weekend, allowing an unearned run while walking three and striking out five. Sara Radabaugh (0-10) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out four in four innings of work.
Sophomore Courtney Martinez led all players at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a run scored while Lauren Lupinetti also finished with two hits on the day.
Doucette led off the game with her eighth home run of the season on the very first pitch she saw from Radabaugh, launching a ball over the fence in left centerfield for the 1-0 lead. Martinez then followed with a double and came around to score three batters later on an RBI single through the left side by Kiki Munoz to make it 2-0.
Fullerton would tack on one more on an RBI ground out by Katie Gollhardt to score Lupinetti, who was hit by a pitch for a Big West-best 15th time this season earlier in the frame, to make it 3-0 after only a half an inning.
The Titans added to their lead in the third as Lupinetti led off the inning with a single through the left side and was pinch run for by Amanda Fernandez. Fernandez stole second, moved to third on Gollhardt's sacrifice, and scored on Jenna Wheeler's sac fly to right to make it 4-0.
UC Riverside threatened in the third loading the bases with only one out for Jennifer Thompson, who lined a shot to straightaway centerfield where it was caught by Wheeler, but it was deep enough to score Krystal Marquez from third to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Doucette then escaped any further damage, inducing an inning-ending ground ball to preserve the lead. She then shut down the Highlanders' offense, tossing four scoreless innings and getting a pair of double plays behind her in the final two innings to quash any further UCR rallies.
The Titans now await the decision of the NCAA selection committee as to their postseason fate. The 64-team bracket will be announced on Sunday (May 13) between 12 and 1 p.m. on ESPNEWS.