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Titans
To Face Cal in Regional Championship May 18, 2002 – Fresno, Calif. Titans Avoid Elimination with 4-1 Victory Over Stanford Box Score Cal State Fullerton junior pitcher Gina Oaks scattered four hits and got timely hits from the Titan offense as top-seeded Fullerton remained in contention for a berth in the College World Series with a 4-1 victory over the second-seeded Stanford Cardinal on Saturday night at Bulldog Diamond. Cal State Fullerton improved to 53-12 overall while Stanford fell to 44-20 and was eliminated from the tournament. The Titans will now face California in the championship round on Sunday afternoon beginning at 12 p.m., and must win two games against the Golden Bears to earn a berth to the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. Sunday’s first game will be broadcast live on KWRM 1370 with the second game (if played) to be broadcast solely on Titan Internet Radio. The victory over the Cardinal was the first in four tries this season for the Titans after falling to Stanford 2-1 at the ASU Fiesta Bowl Classic and dropping a pair of games by the scores of 6-1 and 1-0 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in February. Oaks (22-3) pitched brilliantly, allowing only a first-inning run and scattering four hits while walking twice and striking out six. Stanford starter Tori Nyberg (26-11), who had defeated the Titans in all three previous meetings, gave up all four runs on five hits, walking three and striking out two. Maureen LeCocq allowed just two hits in three innings of relief to keep the Cardinal in the game. Stanford threatened immediately in the first inning, putting runners on second and third with one out and loading the bases with two outs before Jessica Allister smacked a single back up the middle to score Jessica Mendoza for a 1-0 lead. However, Oaks got LeCocq to strike out looking, end the threat and strand three runners on base. Cal State Fullerton responded by sending eight batters to the plate in the third inning, taking the lead on back-to-back RBI singles by Yasmin Mossadeghi and Amy LaRocque for a 2-1 advantage. The Titans weren’t done there as Oaks was hit by Nyberg with two outs and came home to score all the way from first as Jodie Cox doubled to the gap in deep left centerfield to extend Fullerton’s lead to 3-1. Senior infielder Monica Lucatero then led off the fifth inning with a solo shot to centerfield, her 10th of the season, giving the Titans a 4-1 lead and chasing Nyberg from the circle. However, after Stanford sent seven batters to the plate in the first inning, Oaks and the Titan defense shut the door, retiring 15 of the final 16 batters, four of those coming via the strikeout for Oaks, to close out the game. Six different Titans had hits, led by Mossadeghi, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Shortstop Robin Walker led the Cardinal, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Cal Wins Battle of Undefeated Teams, Down Titans 4-2 Box Score California senior third baseman Candace Harper had an RBI single in the third to break a 1-1 tie and starting pitcher Jocelyn Forest struck out 13 batters in the complete game win as the Golden Bears defeated the top-seeded Titans, 4-2, in a battle of undefeated teams at the NCAA Regionals in Fresno, Calif., on Saturday afternoon. Cal State Fullerton fell to 52-12 overall and saw its 11-game winning streak snapped. California improved to 51-19 overall and is undefeated at 3-0 in regional action. Forest (24-12) tossed her 30th complete game of the year, allowing a very economical two runs on three hits. Jodie Cox (18-5) suffered her first loss in 14 decisions, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, walking two and striking out three. The Golden Bears struck first in the opening frame despite not getting a hit. A hit batter, an error and a walk loaded the bases for Courtney Scott, who grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Kristen Morley for the 1-0 lead. The Titans got the run back in the second inning as senior Shawna Robinson tripled to the gap in right centerfield to score Amanda Hockett, who was hit by a pitch for the 20th time this year with two outs to tie the score. California answered back in the third as leadoff batter Kaleo Eldridge was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and scored on a close play at the plate on a single to left field by third baseman Candace Harper to make it 2-1. The Golden Bears tacked on two more runs in the fourth with one out on an inside the park two-run home run by Mikela Pedretti on a ball which dropped sharply and got passed a charging Yasmin Mossadeghi, rolling to the fence to increase the lead to 4-1. Mossadeghi made up for one of those runs, sending the second pitch from Forest in the fourth inning over the fence in left centerfield to cut the lead in half at 4-2. Forest then dominated the high-powered Titan offense, striking out eight of the final 13 batters and allowing just two baserunners via a single and a walk. POST GAME QUOTES Head Coach Michelle Gromacki (On the victory over Stanford) "This definitely gives us momentum going into tomorrow’s games. The one key, reflecting back from the first game to this one, is when you get to this level of play against a caliber of team such as Stanford, is that we didn’t give them any free bases. We did that in the first game with batters being hit by pitches and walks, and the majority of those players scored." "Of all the teams in the regional, our lineup is probably the scariest one through nine. People have said that all year about us. We are pretty confident about our offense and tomorrow should be fun. Fourteen more innings." Senior outfielder Yasmin Mossadeghi (On the offense) "We can swing the bats. Our lineup, one through nine, is fantastic. If I’m not swinging the bat well, someone behind me is doing well." Junior pitcher Gina Oaks (On pitching Sunday against California) "Whatever coach says, goes." ####
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