Titans Reach Gold Bracket, but Fall in Opener Feb. 23, 2002 – Columbus, Ga.
The No. 14 Cal State Fullerton softball team completed pool play on Saturday
morning by earning a No. 8 seed for the Gold Championship bracket, but
fell into consolation play with a loss later that evening.
Columbus, Ga. – Cal State Fullerton junior Gina Oaks tossed a one-hit
complete game shutout and the Titan bats came alive in the sixth inning
to pace Fullerton to a 6-0 defeat of Missouri in the final game of pool
play at the NFCA Leadoff Classicon Saturday afternoon at the South Commons
Softball Complex in Columbus, Ga.
Oaks (4-1) went seven innings, surrendering just the one hit, walking
three and striking out nine Tiger batters for the victory. Erin Kalka
took the loss for Missouri, allowing six runs (all unearned) on six hits
with three walks and five strikeouts.
All the offense in the game came in the sixth inning as the Titans exploded
for all the runs they would need. After two quick outs, senior Yasmin
Mossadeghi reached base when the Missouri centerfielder made a play for
the ball and had it bounce off her glove.
Cal State Fullerton then drew two walks to load the bases and bring up
junior Amanda Hockett, who proceeded to launch a ball down the leftfield
line for a grand slam after fighting off a few pitches and give the Titans
a 4-0 lead.
Fullerton didn’t stop there, as senior Shawna Robinson followed the
home run with a single up the middle and sophomore Julie Watson singled
to third on a bunt to put two more runners on base. Oaks then slugged
a double down the line to bring them both home and build a 6-0 advantage.
That would be all Oaks and the Titans would need as they sat down Missouri
in order in the final two innings to complete the win.
Columbus, Ga. -- Texas A&M’s Lisa Klam smacked an RBI triple
in the fifth inning to break open a 1-1 tie and help send the Aggies to
a, 3-1, victory over Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the Gold
Championship Bracket on Saturday night at the South Commons Softball Complex
in Columbus, Ga.
The Titans now move into the consolation bracket and will face No. 2 Stanford
for the third time this season – and the second time in the tournament
– on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. EST. The Cardinal, who defeated Cal
State Fullerton 6-1 in pool play, lost to Nebraska, 2-0, in their first-round
Gold bracket game.
After playing even through three innings, Texas A&M broke through
in the fourth as Kelly Ferguson hit a sharp single to center to score
teammate Adrian Gregory for the 1-0 lead.
The Titans answered right back in the fifth as sophomore Brittany Ziegler
lined a shot over the left centerfield fence to knot the game at 1-1.
Ziegler was 2-for-3 on the night with that homer and RBI.
However, the Aggies would not rest. After retiring the first batter on
a comebacker to the circle, Lauren Ripple reached first on an error and
scored on Klam’s triple. Klam would then come around to score on
a wild pitch to make it 3-1 before Titan senior Christy Robitaille got
out of the jam and kept Fullerton in the game by retiring the side in
order in the sixth.
The Titans had a solid chance in their half of the seventh as Amanda Hockett
reached on an error and advanced on second on Ziegler’s one-out single
back up the middle. That would be all Cal State Fullerton could get its
bats on, however, as Jessica Slataper reentered the game in relief and
picked up the save by striking out pinch hitter Jenny Topping and Robitaille
to close out the game.
Cal State Fullerton’s Jodie Cox pitched well, lasting 4.1 innings
and surrendering three runs on three hits, walking none and striking out
three. Lindsay Wilhelmson earned the win for the Aggies, going 6.1 innings
and allowing one run on four hits while striking out four batters.
