Records fell and streaks were broken on Saturday as Cal State Fullerton
pounded out 15 runs on 15 hits in game two of a doubleheader with No.
2 Arizona as the No. 9 Titans split a pair with the Wildcats, losing 5-2
in the opener and winning 15-3 in the nightcap, at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial
Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Cal State Fullerton improved to 19-10 overall on the season and snapped
a five-game losing streak to Arizona dating back to 1996. The WIldcats
saw their 17-game winning snapped as they fell to 31-3 overall. It is
just the fourth time since 1988 that Arizona has been run-ruled.
The 15 runs in the second game are the most scored by either team in the
series and the most a Titan team against a WIldcat squad in the history
of the series dating back to 1980 when Fullerton defeated Arizona 12-1.
The 15 runs scored by the Titans are the most in a single game since they
defeated Centenary 16-0 at the Chevron Paradise Classic on Feb. 17, 2001.
In game one, Arizona broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the fourth inning
-- three of those unearned -- en route to a 5-2 victory.
Alicia Hollowell (18-2) earned the victory, going the distance and striking
out nine while allowing two runs on eight hits -- the most surrendered
by the freshman this season. Jodie Cox (7-6) took the hard luck loss,
allowing five runs -- just one earned -- walking four and striking out
five.
Fullerton committed three errors on the day, two in the third inning which
led to the tying run and another in the fourth which would have ended
the inning, but led to three more Wildcats runs.
The Titans struck first in the third inning, loading the bases for senior
Amy LaRocque, who drew a five-pitch walk to give Fullerton the quick 1-0
lead.
However, it was short-lived, as Arizona responded with a run of its own
in its half of the inning. Lisha Ribellia led off with a single and advanced
and scored on back-to-back errors in the frame to knot the game at one.
The WIldcats took the lead for good in the fourth when Jackie Coburn led
off in the inning by sending a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence for
her ninth home run of the year and a 2-1 Arizona lead.
Wendy Allen followed, reaching on an error and, two outs later, scored
on an RBI single by Crystal Farley to make it 2-1. After Autumn Champion
reached on an infield single, both scored when Courney Fossatti tripled
to right centerfield making it 5-1.
The Titans clawed back with a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Cox,
but left the bases loaded for the second time in the game. Cal State Fullerton
stranded 10 runners on the day.
Cox and Gina Oaks each had two hits on the day for the Titans, while four
other Fullerton players had base hits.
In game two, Gina Oaks was 4-for-5 and allowed just three runs on six
hits while striking out nine as the Titans earned a split in the series
with a 15-3 victory.
Eight different Titans had hits on the day -- five of those with two-or-more
hits. Six different Cal State Fullerton players drove in runs led by Amanda
Hockett and Amy LaRocque, who had four each.
Fullerton came out swinging right off the bat, as the first six batters
in the game reached base and back-to-back, two-run doubles by Amanda Hockett
and Amy LaRocque staked the Titans to a 4-0 lead after a half inning.
Cal State Fullerton continued to add to the lead in the second inning
as Hockett added an RBI single to score Oaks and Topping when the ball
got away from the leftfielder to up the lead to 6-0.
The Titans kept it coming in the fourth, as Oaks helped herself by slamming
her fourth home run of the season with a line drive over the left field
wall to make it 7-0.
Arizona answered back with a pair of runs in the fourth as Lovie Jung
led off the frame with her 17th home run of the year to left to cut the
deficit to 7-1. The WIldcats add another later on a bases loaded walk
to Crystal Farley to cut it to 7-2.
Fullerton got the runs back in the fifth as LaRocque led off the frame
with a walk and was followed by Krista O'Hanian, who promptly sent the
first pitch she saw from Wendy Allen (10-1) six rows up in the bleachers
in left field to increase the lead back to seven runs at 9-2.
The Titans kept coming in the sixth as LaRocque, O'Hanian, Heather Saltarelli
and Jodie Cox each had RBI hits in a six-run inning to up the lead to
15-2.
Arizona got a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Courtney Fossatti,
but Oaks (12-4) left the bases loaded to end the game when she struck
out Jung looking. Oaks allowed three runs on six hits and struck out nine
to earn the victory.
Cal State Fullerton resumes play on Tuesday (March 25) at 5 p.m. with
a doubleheader against the top-ranked UCLA Bruins at the Titan Softball
Complex.
