NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team swept Cal State Northridge behind Christina Washington's one-run gem and Missy Taukeiaho's five RBI performance in a 14-1 rout in game one, while using Monique Wesley's first career complete game shutout, 2-0, at Matador Diamond on Friday afternoon.
Following the sweep of the Big West doubleheader, the Titans climb to (32-21-1, 12-8) and the Matadors fall to (31-25, 8-12).
Fullerton marked the first doubleheader sweep in Northridge since the 2003 campaign, registering road wins of 6-3 and 6-2. Reaching the 32-win mark with one game remaining in the regular season, the Titans have captured the most wins in a single season since 2007 when Fullerton posted an overall record of 38-23, finishing second in the Big West with a tally of 13-5.
GAME ONE: Cal State Fullerton 14, Cal State Northridge 1
Washington (12-6) tossed her fourth complete contest of the season, scattering seven hits, issuing only one walk and striking out a pair for her team-high 12th victory of the year.
Missy Taukeiaho turned in a 3-for-4 effort, driving in five runs. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native also launched her Big West leading 18th round-tripper of the season in the sixth, moving into a tie for second-place for most home runs in a single season in Big West history, joining Kelly Majam of Hawai'i who tallied 18 bombs in 2013.
Taukeiaho also extended her hitting streak to five-games, while recording her team-high second five RBI game of 2014. Scoring three times, the transfer from the University of Washington has now eclipsed 60 on the season, placing her atop the Big West record books for most in a single season.
Freshman Sydney Colenzo showed CSF Head Coach Kelly Ford a glimpse of the future, collecting a career-high four hits on five at-bats, scoring one run while driving in another pair. Colenzo set career-highs in at-bats, RBIs and hits.
Junior Eliza Crawford chipped in a 1-for-3 performance, scoring one run and driving in three. Senior Gabby Aragon collected her 12th multi-hit of the year, batting 2-for-3, scoring and driving in one run apiece while drawing two walks, reaching base on four occasions. Samantha Galarza became the fourth Titan to produce a multi-hit game, chalking up a 2-for-3 performance, scoring one run and driving in another.
CSUN starter, Brianna Elder (22-12) tossed six and 1/3 innings, yielding a season-high 11 earned runs on 10 hits. The three-time Big West Pitcher of the Week issued two walks while striking out two.
Already holding a 5-1 advantage, Fullerton erupted for a nine-run seventh inning to bury the Matadors. The explosion of runs began with consecutive RBI fielder's choices by Carissa Turang and Leesa Harris. Taukeiaho delivered a two-run single, later followed by Crawford driving in another after being plunked at the plate for the 12th plate appearance this year.
The carousel continued as Aragon drove in another run by drawing a bases loaded walk, immediately followed by an RBI single off the bat of Galarza. Colenzo capped off the inning with a two-run double to left center, icing the inning and concluding the barrage with a 14-1 advantage in favor of Fullerton.
The Titans opened up the scoring off Elder in the third inning after Harris reached base on a fielding error by CSUN shortstop, Madison Fleming. Taukeiaho immediately reached base after being hit with an inside pitch. Crawford cashed in with a two-run double into the left center gap to propel the Titans into a 2-0 lead.
Fullerton tacked on another pair in the fourth, beginning with a leadoff single by Colenzo. Fellow CSF freshman Delynn Rippy came into the contest as a pinch hitter, executing a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Rubio to second who pinch ran for Colenzo earlier in the at-bat. Taukeiaho reached base for the 29th consecutive contest by roping a two-run single up the middle, extending the Fullerton advantage to 4-0.
The Matadors got on the board via a solo-homer off the bat of Katie Hooper in the bottom half of the fourth, cutting the deficit down to 4-1, but that was all the offense was able to muster up against Washington who was sharp all afternoon. Hooper batted 2-for-3, scoring one run and collected one RBI in the loss.
GAME TWO: Cal State Fullerton 2, Cal State Northridge 0
Wesley (6-6) was given the ball in the circle in the final game of the day, tossing her first complete game shutout in her career and fourth overall this season. Over seven innings of six-hit ball, the Fontana, Calif., native fanned eight Matadors while issuing two walks.
The eight strikeouts was two short of the sophomore's career-high of 10, when the right-hander posted the double digit strikeouts in a 7-2 complete game on Mar. 3 over Canisius. Overall, Wesley stranded eight runners on the base paths, never allowing a Matador to reach third the entire contest.
Fullerton used a two-run second inning without the benefit of a hit, which ended up to be the only frame that either team could push any runs across. Aragon and Galarza led off the inning by drawing consecutive walks, quickly placing two runners on. Colenzo reached on a fielder's choice as the CSUN defense failed to record an out on the play, loading the bases for Fullerton.
Harris drew a walk with nowhere to go, scoring Galarza and tallying the only RBI of the contest off of CSUN starter, Daphne Pofek. The Titans tacked on another run via a wild pitch from Pofek, scoring Colenzo and extending the lead to 2-0 which proved to be the final.
Senior Ariel Tsuchiyama was the only Titan to post a multi-hit game amongst the five hits in total for the team, batting 2-for-4. Galarza and Colenzo each chipped in a 1-for-2 effort, scoring one run apiece, respectively.
Pofek (5-6) tossed a complete game in the loss, yielding two runs on five hits, while striking out a pair and surrendered three walks.
The Titans and Matadors will wrap up the three-game set tomorrow in Northridge, Calif., at Matador Diamond. First pitch is slated for noon in the final game of the regular season for both squads and the last appearance for Fullerton seniors Ariel Tsuchiyama, Gabby Aragon, Leesa Harris, Lauren Mario and Jena Rubio.