FULLERTON, Calif. – On day two of the Judi Garman Classic, the Cal State Fullerton softball team's offensive slide continued as the Titans failed to put a run on the board in a 2-0 loss to No. 14 Michigan at Anderson Family Field on Friday night.
Starter Kelsey Kessler's (5-2) complete game performance will go down as a loss but the senior put up an extraordinary effort against the hard-hitting Wolverines by posting seven innings, five strikeouts, six hits, three walks and the only blemish being a two-run homer in the fifth.
With the defeat, Fullerton falls to 8-10 on the season as the tough-schedule continues with games against No. 7 UCLA and No. 22 Baylor on Saturday and Sunday.
The game got started with some early noise from Michigan as the Wolverines loaded the bases but Kessler worked her way out of the opening frame with a clutch strikeout to end the top half.
The Titans went on to get three-straight baserunners in the first three innings but struggled to find a rhythm against Michigan starter Tera Blanco who matched Kessler pitch-for-pitch through four.
Still scoreless, the Wolverines got on the board in the fifth with a two-run bomb to left field from second baseman Faith Canfield to put the visitors up 2-0 after five.
After a quick sixth inning, the Titans put the tying run at the plate with one out in the seventh as pinch-hitter Kenzie Grimes drew a walk.
However, Arianna Burns and Delynn Rippy couldn't get a beat as they both struck out to end the ball game.
Overall, Fullerton collected four hits in the contest while committing one error and going scoreless. The three-four-five hitters (Lexi Gonzalez, Irieanna Siofele and Trish Parks) for the Titans all collected a hit in the game with Parks getting a hard-hit single and drawing a walk against the Wolverines.
Tomorrow, CSUF continues action at the Judi Garman Classic with a battle against No. 7 UCLA at 7:30 p.m. PT. It will be the first of two meetings this season between the Titans and Bruins.
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