May 14, 2010
NORTHRIDGE, CA - Cal State Fullerton junior Torrie Anderson finished 5-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBI on Friday afternoon, helping the visiting Titans to a doubleheader split with second-place Cal State Northridge at Matador Diamond.
The split moved the Titans to 14-38 overall and 9-11 in conference play while the Matadors moved to 30-22 overall and 14-6 in conference action. Coupled with UC Davis' split at UC Santa Barbara, the Matadors remained a game behind the Aggies with only Saturday's season finales remaining.
Freshman Gabby Aragon and senior Kadie Baldwin also finished with three hits on the day to help pace a Fullerton offense that outhit Northridge, 18-12, for the doubleheader - including an 11-hit game in the second contest.
The two teams return to the diamond to close out the series and the 2010 regular season on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
CAL STATE FULLERTON 2, CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 1
Freshman Ashley Carter and sophomore Nicole Johnson each drove home runs in the decisive third inning while Katey Laban and Ari Cervantes combined on a six-hitter as the Titans took home the victory in the opener.
Laban (4-7) allowed just one run on four hits while striking out two to earn the victory in five innings of work while Cervantes came on to earn her first save of the year in the sixth, allowing just two hits in two scoreless innings.
Hannah Fraijo (17-8) suffered the loss, allowing the two runs on seven hits while striking out three in the complete-game effort.
All the scoring for both teams was done in the third inning as the Titans capitalized early to take the lead. Junior Torrie Anderson, who finished 2-for-4 for the game, doubled with one out and came around to score one batter later on Carter's single up the middle for the 1-0 lead.
After a fly out, Johnson followed with a ringing double to right centerfield, scoring Carter from first base to make it a 2-0 game. Fraijo worked away from any further damage, however, as she stranded Johnson at third by inducing a fly ball to end the inning.
The Matadors got one of the runs back against Laban in the bottom of the inning as Karla Chaparro followed the Titans' game plan and doubled with one out before scoring two batters later on Jaclyn Rymer's single to left field to cut the deficit in half.
Laban, however, worked out of the jam by also getting a fly ball to end the inning and preserve the lead.
CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 8, CAL STATE FULLERTON 5
The host Matadors took advantage of three Titan errors in the late innings, rallying back from a two-run deficit to score five times in the fifth and sixth innings to pull out the victory and salvage a split.
Anderson finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI, including her team-best 11th home run of the season, to lead all players while freshman Gabby Aragon and senior Kadie Baldwin also finished with multiple hits on the day.
After some early fireworks, it was Anderson's two-run home run in the fourth that gave Fullerton a 5-3 lead, but Northridge rallied back in the fifth as back-to-back throwing errors on plays that would have retired the side in order scored Chaparro to make it a 5-4 ball game. Pinch hitter Kristen Mihm then singled up the middle to tie the game and Jaci Carlsen rapped a single to right field to score Mihm for the go-ahead score.
Tracy Allen then led-off the sixth with a single and moved to third when Christina Saenz's sacrifice attempt was thrown away for Fullerton's third error of the game. Krystal Raphael was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and Alexandria Alvarado cashed in, driving an 0-2 pitch back up the middle to score two more and make it an 8-5 Matador lead.
Amanda Pitzenberger (9-5) then shut the door in the seventh, allowing just a single to Ashley Carter before getting a strikeout and fielder's choice ground ball to end the game. Pitzenberger allowed three runs on six hits over five innings in relief of starter Debbie Duran, who allowed two runs on five hits over the first two innings.
Cervantes (6-19) suffered the loss for the Titans, allowing five earned on six hits in six innings of work.
Fullerton struck first for the second time on the day as Anderson reached on an infield single to lead-off the game and moved to third on Aragon's double. Johnson brought home the first run with a sac fly and Morgan LeMond doubled off Duran to drive home the second run of the game.
Northridge rallied back in a big way in the bottom half as Lauren Olivas walked to lead-off the inning and moved to second on Rymer's bunt single. After a lineout, Carlsen sent a 1-0 pitch from Cervantes over the wall in left field for her seventh home run of the year, giving the Matadors a 3-2 lead.
It stayed that way until the third when Fullerton came through with the tying run with two outs. Aragon got the rally started with a lead-off single and advanced to second on Baldwin's single three batters later. That brought up junior Natalie DeLeese, who laced a single to left, scoring Aragon with the tying run.