FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team extended its winning streak to 10 games with an 8-2 victory over San Diego Tuesday night in a non-conference contest at Anderson Family Field. In the win, Cerissa Rivera recorded her fourth victory in the circle, while Missy Taukeiaho belted her seventh homer of the season.
The Titans improve to 35-10 on the year and have won 15 of their last 16 games. Their 10-game winning streak marks the longest such streak since 2005 when the Titans won 11 straight games before losing in the NCAA Regionals.
Rivera earned the start in the circle – her sixth of the year – and pitched 4.0 innings against San Diego (16-26). She surrendered just one run on seven hits, while issuing one walk and fanning four en route to picking up her fourth win of the season.
Cal State Fullerton's offense gave Rivera the run support she needed as the Titans plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning after Taukeiaho launched a two-run blast over the leftfield wall. Her seventh homer of the year gave the Titans a 2-0 lead it would never relinquish.
The Titans tacked on two more runs in the second on three hits and an error. In the frame, Sydney Colenzo and Shianne Brannan, who reached base on a single and a double, respectively, came around to score on an RBI-single by Delynn Rippy followed by a Toreros' error.
With a 4-0 lead, Cal State Fullerton added three runs in the third on two hits and a pair of errors as they jumped out to a 7-0 advantage.
The Toreros tallied their first run of the ballgame on a solo home run off the bat of Mary Grabowski. She led off the fourth inning with a homer to leftfield, but Rivera managed to get out of the frame without allowing another run to come across.
Fullerton added its final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Brooke Clemetson and Mikaela Francis. Francis' double plated Clemetson as the Titan took an 8-1 lead.
Christina Washington came on in relief of Rivera and pitched 2.0 innings of work. She allowed one run, which came in the sixth inning, on four hits. Washington walked one and struck out one, before making way for Jasmine Antunez who pitched the final inning of action and retired the side.
San Diego's starter Grace Hernandez (5-10) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs, four of which were earned, on seven hits. She walked two and fanned three in 3.0 innings pitched.
Lauren Berriatua pitched the final 3.0 frames and allowed one run on two hits and recorded one strike out.
The Toreros out-hit the Titans recording 11 hits to the hosts' nine. However, San Diego left 11 on base, while Cal State Fullerton stranded five and took advantage of four USD errors.
Taukeiaho finished the game batting 1-for-1 with an intentional walk, a home run, a run scored and two RBIs. Clemetson was 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored, while Rippy was 2-for-2 with three RBIs.
Cal State Fullerton resumes Big West Conference action Friday, April 22 at Hawaii at 6 p.m. The Titans and the Rainbow Wahine conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 23 beginning at 2 p.m.