Box Score (PDF)

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton (27-18, 5-5) softball team dropped the series opener to Big West rival Long Beach State (19-22, 6-4), 6-1, at 49er Softball Complex on Saturday afternoon.

LBSU's Christina Clermont (12-6) scattered four hits and surrendered only one run while fanning five. Clermont issued one walk and stranded six Titans on the base paths. Clermont stifled the Fullerton offense that could only manage four hits on the afternoon.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth, LBSU's Haley Tobler and Lauren Lombardi began the frame with back-to-back singles. Darian Tautalafua laid down a sacrifice bunt in front of the plate, but reached base due to a throwing error by the Titans' catcher Kyle Padilla. Tobler rounded third and notched the game up at one apiece on the error. The rally was capped off with an RBI single from Summer Pohl to give the 49ers a 2-1 lead that was never surrendered.

Long Beach State's Lauren Lombardi added a grand slam in the fifth to extend the advantage to 6-1. Lombardi turned in a 2-for-3 effort with four RBIs.  

The Titans were the first to get on the scoreboard as Samantha Galarza began the top of the third with an infield single to the shortstop. Padilla was later hit by a pitch to put two runners on with one out. CSF freshman Sammie Vandiver (2-for-4) looped a single to left center to give Fullerton an early 1-0 lead that was short-lived.

Fullerton sophomore Christina Washington (14-5) took the loss after six innings of work, yielding six runs (five earned) on seven hits. The left-hander struck out four and walked two.

Cal State Fullerton closes out the series with Long Beach State and its seven-game road swing with a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU at 49er Softball Complex in Long Beach, Calif.

Game Notes: Fullerton now holds a 73-57 series record over the 49ers, while being 11-5 on Saturday's and 4-5 on the road…Prior to a four-hit performance at No. 9 UCLA on April 8, the four-hit production by the Titans' offense was the lowest output since another four-hit outing against then No. 14 LSU on Feb. 19…Vandiver produced her 15th multi-hit game of the season.