Titans Stumble On Day Three of Kia Klassic March 14, 2003 – Fullerton, Calif.
Box Score vs. Washington
Box Score vs. Nebraska
The last at-bat magic that the No. 9 Cal State Fullerton softball team
enjoyed through the first two days of the 2003 Kia Klassic ran out on
Friday, as the Titans fell twice to ranked opposition on the day.
The Titans fell to No. 5 Washington, 5-4, and No. 3 Nebraska, 6-5, in
eight innings to move into the consolation bracket against UNLV in a game
scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon on field No. 2 at the Titan
Softball Complex.
Fullerton fell to 18-9 overall on the year and 2-2 in tournament play.
Washington improved to 26-2-1 with the victory while Nebraska moved to
16-4 overall on the season.
In the first game of the day, Washington starter Tia Bollinger (13-1)
allowed four runs on five hits -- including shutting the Titans out until
the bottom of the seventh -- escaping with a 5-4 victory to earn the top
seed out of Pool C.
Jodie Cox (7-5) saw her four-game winning streak come to a halt, surrendering
five runs (two earned) on six hits, walking seven and striking out eight.
Washington got on the board in each of the first four innings, scoring
on a passed ball in the first, an RBI fielder's choice by Amanda Oleson
in the second, an RBI single by Kathy Fiske and a run-scoring groundout
by Sarah Hyatt in the third, and capping the scoring on an error in the
fourth.
Bollinger then set down the next 12 Titans in a row until the seventh
when Cox led off with a single to center. After a walk and an infield
single loaded the bases with one out, sophomore Jody Campbell struck out
swinging to set the stage for senior Krista O'Hanian.
O'Hanian, who hit her first two career home runs earlier this season,
then took an 0-2 pitch from Bollinger over the left field fence for her
first career grand slam in a Titan uniform and cut the lead to 5-4.
However, Bollinger clinched the victory by getting Jennifer Holt to groundout
back to the circle and end the game.
The nightcap was one for the books as the No. 3 Cornhuskers sank the Titans'
"three-peat" hopes with a 6-5 victory in eight innings in a
game which lasted 3:39.
Peaches James earned the win for the Huskers, going the distance and allowing
five runs (three earned) on five hits, walking six and striking out eight.
Oaks (11-4) suffered the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on six
hits, walking five and striking out 14.
With the Titans trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Fullerton responded with three
runs in the frame thanks to an RBI single by Amy LaRocque and a two-run
error by the Nebraska pitcher to give the Titans a 5-3 advantage.
That lasted until the seventh when Nebraska catcher Amber Burgess grounded
out to second with the bases loaded to score Lisa Wangler, and cut the
deficit to 5-4. Two batters later with two away, Trisha Tannahill drew
a two-out walk, but the ball got away from the Titans' catcher, allowing
Amanda Buchholz to score the tying run and send it into the eighth.
With a runner on second per international tie-breaker rules, Nebraska
put runners on the corners thanks to a fielder's choice and scored the
go-ahead run on a single by Kim Ogee.
Fullerton tried to answer back in its half of the eighth, advancing the
runner to third with one out, but James got Cox to ground out and Oaks
to fly out to left to end the game.
