SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Sarah Moore laced a two-run double to leftfield in the top of the seventh driving in the game-winning runs for Cal State Fullerton over Santa Clara as head coach Kelly Ford picked up her 100th win as a Titan Friday evening at the Santa Clara Bronco Classic.
The Titans (5-1) scored first and took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth at which point the Broncos (1-4) tallied two more runs to take a 3-2 advantage. Cal State Fullerton trailed for the next few innings, leaving six runners on base, before sparking a two-out rally in the top of the seventh.
"That was one of those ugly wins, but sometimes this game is about winning the ugly games" Cal State Fullerton head coach Kelly Ford said. "We made a lot of mistakes. There are a lot of things that we could be better at and at this point there is no choice. We have got to be better. We left way too many runners in scoring position. When those runners get in scoring position, they're there to score – not walk off the field.
"Somehow we persevered and we got our mojo going in that last inning. And that's the mark of a great team that does not give up going into the seventh when they're down. So that was an excellent piece of that game. So I'm going to take the ugly win right now. This team works too hard to take that away from them, but we have to clean some things up."
Cal State Fullerton plated its first two runs of the game on a two-run double off the bat of Melissa Sechrest in the first inning. Sechrest would finish the game going 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
Junior left-hander Christina Washington got the start and allowed three runs on four hits in 4.0 innings of work. She struck out three and walked one, but received the no decision.
Washington did a solid job in the circle until the bottom of the fourth when she gave up a double, a triple and a sacrifice fly and watched her one-run lead turn into a one-run deficit.
Although Washington managed to get out of the inning, the Titans sent senior righty Jasmine Antunez (1-0) to the circle to start the fifth.
Antunez did a good job and pitched 3.0 innings without allowing a run. She gave up a pair of hits, fanned two and walked one en route to picking up her first win of the year.
Santa Clara's pitcher Micaela Vierra (1-3) threw a complete game and was on track for the win until the seventh inning when she gave up a two-out infield single to Samantha Vandiver, which sparked the three-run inning.
After Vandiver's single, Missy Taukeiaho followed suit with a hard-hit base hit up the middle to put runners on first and second with two outs for Courtney Rodriguez. Rodriguez sent a single through the right side, which scored Vandiver to tie the game at 3-3.
With Rodriguez at first and Taukeiaho at second with two outs, Moore came to the plate and roped a double to leftfield clearing the bases.
Antunez came back out for the bottom of the seventh and gave up just one single before retiring the side and collecting the win.
Vandiver went 2-for-4 in the game with two runs scored, while Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run. Moore concluded the game going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk.
The win marked the fifth of the year for the Titans and the 100th for Ford, who is now in her fourth year at the helm.
"The athletes get the wins," Ford said of earning her 100th win. "I'm just so proud to be a Titan. It definitely means a lot to me. I want to double it really quick."
Cal State Fullerton returns to Santa Clara Softball Stadium Saturday, Feb. 20 for a pair of games. The first contest is against Seattle at 10 a.m., followed by a game against Idaho State at 12:15 p.m.