Cal State Fullerton 6, Oklahoma State 5 (PDF)
(Five Innings) Cal State Fullerton 9, Nevada 1 (PDF)
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The Cal State Fullerton softball salvaged two victories in the final day of the Mary Nutter Classic behind a wild walk-off of Oklahoma State, 6-5, and a complete game from Desiree Ybarra in a 9-1 decision over Nevada at the Big League Dreams Complex on Sunday.
With a pair of wins on the final day of competition, the Titans climb to 9-6, while Nevada falls to 3-12 and Oklahoma State drops to 3-9.
Cal State Fullerton will stay on the road and continue its 12-game road trip on Wednesday when the Titans visit the University of San Diego at 6 p.m. at the USD Softball Complex.
GAME TWO: Cal State Fullerton 6, Oklahoma State 5
Falling behind 3-0 to a struggling Oklahoma State squad, the Titans willed themselves to take the lead in the third inning, lose it by the seventh, and found a way to manufacture the winning run off a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame.
Fullerton junior Missy Taukeiaho drew a walk to lead off the seventh inning, as Oklahoma State reliever Meagan Lively (1-3) treaded carefully not to let the team leader in home runs a chance to end it on one swing. Melissa Sechrest who entered the contest earlier in the third to play first base, executed a sacrifice bunt to move Taukeiaho into scoring position. After Mizzou transfer Sarah Moore worked herself into a favorable 3-1 count, Lively airmailed a wild pitch to the backstop and Taukeiaho used heads up base running to round third and slide in safely to stun the Cowgirls in unlikely fashion.
Oklahoma State tallied three early runs in the second off an RBI single from Jessi Haffner and two-run double by Dre McKee. Fullerton responded with a run of its own, capitalizing on an error to cut the deficit down to 3-1.
The Titans pulled ahead 5-3on another pair of Oklahoma State errors, plating runs via sacrifice fly from Moore, two-run single down the right field line off the bat of Samantha Galarza and another run off a passed ball. Galarza (2-for-2) turned in her first multi-hit game of the season, driving in two runs.
The Cowgirls' offense continued to click as they logged 12 hits overall, and chipped away at the lead to eventually tie the game at five apiece off a sacrifice fly by Shelby Davis in the fourth, and an RBI infield single in the sixth to put the Titans on their heels until late heroics clinched the Fullerton sweep.
CSF's Desiree Ybarra (4-2) notched her second win on the day with four innings of relief, holding OSU's offense to just one run on six hits to go along with four strikeouts. Fullerton starter Christina Washington tossed three innings and struck out a season-high seven batters, but eventually gave way to Ybarra after the Cowgirls threatened in the fourth inning.
Lively tossed the final four innings giving up one earned run on four hits while Cowgirls' starter Whitney Whitehorn logged two and 1/3 innings of work, yielding one earned run on three hits.
GAME ONE: (Five Innings) Cal State Fullerton 9, Nevada 1
Cal State Fullerton used a three-run opening frame to hand Nevada its seventh straight defeat, while snapping their own which stood at four games.
With a new looking line-up which featured reigning Big West Player of the Year Missy Taukeiaho in the three-hole instead of her typical leadoff position, the Titan bats were active early against Nevada starter Chase Redington (2-4).
University of Arizona transfer Courtney Rodriguez singled to left field to leadoff the game, immediately followed by Delynn Rippy reaching on a fielder's choice, forcing Rodriguez out at second. Missy Taukeiaho singled to left field, and both Rippy and Taukeiaho scooted over to second and third following a passed ball from Nevada catcher Ashley Butera.
The lone senior for Fullerton, Eliza Crawford, singled to score Rippy. Taukeiaho would score on a wild pitch, later followed by Mizzou transfer Sarah Moore grounding out to second base to score Crawford and put the Titans in front 3-0, a lead that would never be challenged.
Titans' starter Desiree Ybarra posted a superb outing, tossing the full five innings yielding one run on six hits. Although the left-handed junior failed to record a strikeout, Ybarra issued only one walk to avoid extra base runners.
Cal State Fullerton erupted for another six runs on five hits in the third frame, highlighted by RBI singles off the bats of Rippy and Moore, capped off by the final dagger via grand slam from pinch hitter and Oregon State transfer Lexi Gonzalez.
Gonzalez (1-for-4) collected four RBIs, while Rodriguez (2-for-3) and Taukeiaho (2-for-2) logged a pair of hits each, respectively. Rippy (1-for-3) scored twice while driving in one. Moore (1-for-3) tallied two RBIs and scored once.
Redington was chased out of the game after two and 1/3 innings, surrendering seven runs on seven hits. McKenna Isenberg entered in relief, but was ineffective after recording just one out while giving up two runs. Megan Dortch was the final Wolf Pack pitcher to enter the contest, tossing the final two and 1/3 innings of shutout ball.
Game Notes: The Titans snapped their four-game losing streak which was the longest skid since 2013 when the Titans dropped five straight… Missy Taukeiaho has now reached base for a 13th consecutive game…Fullerton is now 2-2 in games played on Sunday's…Sarah Moore logged her team-high fourth multi-RBI game of the season with two versus Nevada…The Titans now have a 3-2 edge in the all-time series with the Wolf Pack after splitting two meetings this season…CSF extends its all-time mark against Oklahoma State to 12-5…Courtney Rodriguez (3-for-7) extended her hitting streak to a team-high five games after today's sweep…With the four run outburst in the third inning, CSF has now outscored opponents 26-4 in that frame…The three run deficit against Oklahoma State was the largest the Titans have trailed and come-from-behind to win, logging their fourth comeback overall last coming versus Utah (Feb. 14) trailing by two runs…Oregon State transfer Lexi Gonzalez inked her first home run of her Titan career with a grand slam in the third inning versus Nevada…This was not the first walk-off win in unorthodox fashion for the Titans as sophomore Gabby Rodas earned a bases-loaded walk to upset then No. 21 Notre Dame, 8-7, on Feb. 7 in Fullerton, Calif.
