LONG BEACH, Calif. - The Cal State Fullerton Titans women's softball team lost 3-2 on Friday night at the Long Beach State Softball Complex in a nationally televised game on ESPNU.
The Titans broke their 14-game winning streak and fell to 33-17 overall and 20-5 in conference play. Long Beach is now one game behind them in conference with a 19-6 record in Big West play.
Myka Sutherlin had a quality start but suffered her first loss in 10 games. She allowed three runs on seven hits, one walk, and struck out six. Shannon Haddad had a complete game and allowed two runs, one three hits, three walks, and two strikeouts.
The Titans offense mustered only three hits for the game with Hannah Becerra the only one in the starting lineup with two of them. She was 2-for-2 with one run scored.
Long Beach took the lead in the 1st inning after a nervous start by Sutherlin. The Beach had three straight hits to start the inning that scored one. Sutherlin got a strikeout for the first out of the inning before another Long Beach single brought in another run. The Beach would load the bases with two outs but Sutherlin was able to get a popup to short to end the frame.
The Titans got one run back in the fourth inning. Hannah Becerra led the inning off with a walk. Daisy Munoz sac bunted in the next at-bat but the first baseman threw the ball away to put runners on the corners. Maggie Pauolovich pinch ran for Munoz and stole second base. The catcher threw the ball to the shortstop who threw the ball away to third base that allowed Becerra to score. The Titans sac bunted Paulovich over to third but a fly out and a pop up stranded the runner on third for the Titans in the inning.
The Beach threatened to score in the fifth inning after a leadoff double by Bickar. They sac bunted her over to third for the first out of the inning. The next batter hit a grounder to Peyton Toto and she threw a dart to Jessi Alcala for the out at home.
END 5 | A great defensive play by Peyton Toto keeps the Beach from scoring in the inning! Long Beach leads 2-1 after five.#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/M3YRMyZZc2
— Titans Softball (@Fullerton_SB) May 13, 2023
The Beach added another one in the sixth after two base hits in the inning to take a 3-1 lead.
The Titans showed some fight in the seventh inning after Sophia Guevara had a pinch hit solo home run off the scoreboard to make it a 1-run game.
T7 | @sophiaxguevara with her first career bomb!!!#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/UnKjzTnu7j
— Titans Softball (@Fullerton_SB) May 13, 2023
But a groundout to short ended the game for the Titans to set up an intense scenario for the final day of the regular season.
The Titans need to win just one game on Saturday's scheduled doubleheader to clinch the Big West Title. If Long Beach sweeps the doubleheader on Saturday then they will be the Big West Champions.
WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch home contests exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for Titans Athletics. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.
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