FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team stayed in the game against nationally-ranked Florida State for the first three innings of action, but could not overcome five errors accumulated over the final three frames as the Titans dropped a 10-1 six inning contest to the Seminoles Tuesday night.
Freshman right-hander Sydney Golden (7-2) got the start for Cal State Fullerton (13-8) and initially matched Florida State's (18-3) starter Meghan King (8-1). In the first three innings of work, Golden allowed just one hit while facing one over the minimum.
The Titans got on the board in the second inning after Sarah Moore led off the frame with a double to left center. An FSU fielding error allowed her to get to third and she came home on a bunt single by Shianne Brannan to score the first run of the game.
Cal State Fullerton held the 1-0 lead until the fourth inning when Golden got into some trouble. The Seminoles led off the inning with an infield single and a two-run home run to right field by Jessica Warren gave Florida State a lead it would not relinquish.
Following the homer, three consecutive singles and a pair of errors led to two more runs as the Seminoles took a 4-1 advantage.
Florida State added three more runs in the fifth inning as it jumped ahead 7-1.
After surrendering seven runs, six of which were earned, on 10 hits with two strikeouts over 5.0 innings of work, Golden's night was over.
Senior right-hander Desiree Ybarra came on in relief in the sixth and gave up three runs, all unearned, on one hit after errors came back to bite the Titans as they fell behind by nine (10-1).
King, like Golden, pitched 5.0 innings. However, she allowed just one run (unearned) on two hits with one strikeout and two walks en route to earning the win.
She was relieved by Jessica Burroughs who pitched 1.0 inning, allowing just one walk and striking out three to end the game.
Moore and Brannan were the one Titans to record a hit in the game. Moore finished batting 1-for-2 with a run scored, while Brannan was 1-for-1 with an RBI and a base on balls.
Cal State Fullerton looks to bounce back from the setback this weekend when it heads to Long Beach, Calif., to take part in the Louisville Slugger Invitational beginning Friday, March 11 against Utah Valley at 9:30 a.m.