(5 Innings) No. 18 Missouri 10, Cal State Fullerton 2 (PDF)
(6 Innings) No. 14 LSU 8, Cal State Fullerton 0 (PDF)
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The Cal State Fullerton softball team suffered two losses at the hands of No. 18 Missouri, 10-2, and No. 14 LSU, 8-0, in day one of the Mary Nutter Classic at the Big League Dreams Complex on Thursday.
With a pair of defeats on the first day of competition, the Titans drop to 7-5, while Missouri advances to 5-1 and LSU (13-0) remains undefeated.
Cal State Fullerton will take a day off and return for competition on Saturday against No. 23 Texas A&M at 3 p.m. in the Mary Nutter Classic at the Big League Dreams Complex in Palm Springs, Calif.
GAME ONE (Five Innings): (18) Missouri 10, Cal State Fullerton 2
In a 2-0 hole to Cal State Fullerton, the Missouri bats exploded for 10 unanswered runs to power past the Titans in a 10-2 rout in five innings.
Missouri responded with a three-run rally in the bottom of the second frame, capitalizing on a leadoff walk by Amanda Sanchez and a pair of walks to Natalie Fleming and Angela Randazzo off CSF starter Christina Washington (4-2). Roth rectified her error in the first with a two-run single, later followed by an RBI ground-rule double to left by Corrin Genovese to give the Tigers the lead that would not be surrendered.
Washington was chased after just two and 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs on six hits while issuing a season-high four walks. Jasmine Antunez tossed two innings in relief, giving up seven runs on seven hits.
The Tigers tacked on another four runs in the fourth with a two-run single by Sami Fagan and a two-run double by Angela Randazzo. Missouri quickly ended the contest with a solo homer off the bat of Emily Crane, later followed by a two-run round-tripper by Kirsten Mack to seal the victory for the Tigers.
Missouri's 1-4 hitters of Taylor Gadbois, Crane, Fagan and Mack combined for an 8-for-16 (.500) outing, scoring six times while driving in half of the Tigers' 10 runs.
The Titans' offense struck early, opening the contest with back-to-back singles by Courtney Rodriguez and Eliza Crawford off Tigers' starter Tori Finucane (2-1). Mizzou transfer Sarah Moore made an immediate impact against her former teammates, forcing an error on Tigers' first baseman Kelsea Roth with a ground ball just off the glove into right field to plate Rodriguez. CSF's Melissa Sechrest roped an RBI single into center, scoring Crawford and placing the Titans in front 2-0 for a short lived lead.
Finucane tossed four and 1/3 innings with three strikeouts while yielding a pair of unearned runs.
GAME TWO (Six Innings): (14) LSU 8, Cal State Fullerton 0
LSU right-hander Allie Walljasper (5-0) tossed a complete game two-hitter, fanning eight Titans while logging her third shutout and fourth complete game of the season.
The Tigers recorded a run in the opening frame off a two-out RBI double to right center off the bat of Sahvanna Jaquish, scoring Bianka Bell who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning off Fullerton starter Desiree Ybarra (2-1).
Ybarra tossed five innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits and walking six Tigers. Fellow left-handed pitcher Christina Washington was tagged for five earned runs on four hits in her only inning of work before the game was deemed final.
After LSU tacked on insurance runs in the fourth and fifth innings, Walljasper traded her glove for a bat and sent the final blow via grand slam in the sixth inning among a five-inning outburst to hand Cal State Fullerton its third consecutive run-rule defeat.
Jaquish posted a 2-for-2 performance with two RBIs and a pair of walks. Walljasper (1-for-3) collected four RBIs and one walk, while scoring once.
