The No. 7 Cal State Fullerton softball team continued to roll in Big West
Conference play on Saturday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader from UC
Riverside by the scores of 7-1 and 8-0 in five innings at the UCR Softball
Field in Riverside, Calif.
Cal State Fullerton improved to 32-13 overall, 13-1 in the Big West. UC
Riverside fell to 11-38, 2-11 in league play. The Titans have won 13 of
their last 14 games dating back to March 29.
The run scored by UC Riverside in game one was the first scored against
the Titans by the Highlanders in the series dating back to 1985. Fullerton
has won all nine meetings with Riverside, outscoring UCR, 60-1 in that
span.
In game one, senior Jenny Topping slugged her sixth home run of the season
and drove in four while Jodie Cox extended her Big West Conference winning
streak to 20 consecutive starts as Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside,
7-1.
The Titans got on the board quickly in the first with three consecutive
hits, including RBI's by Gina Oaks and Topping for the 2-0 advantage.
Topping then slammed her sixth round-tripper of the season in the third
inning over the right centerfield fence with a pair of runners on to give
Fullerton a commanding 5-0 lead.
Fullerton added two more in the fifth on RBI singles by Cox and Krista
O'Hanian for the 7-0 lead.
UC Riverside scored its lone run in the seventh, breaking up the no-hitter
bid with back-to-back singles by Kristen Hernandez and Melissa Sanchez.
They advanced to third with two outs before Andrea Cunningham smacked
a sharp single back to the pitcher that could not be handled, allowing
Hernandez to score. Sanchez was thrown out at the plate on the play to
end the game.
Cox (16-7) earned the victory, throwing four innings of no-hit ball, walking
one and striking out six batters. She also extended her scoreless innings
streak to 40 consecutive frames dating back to April 5. Moran threw the
final three innings, giving up a run on three hits and walking one.
Kimberly Dillon (5-11) suffered the loss for the Highlanders, surrendering
seven runs on 13 hits, walking two and striking out four.
A pair of Titans reached milestones on the day. Topping's home run in
the third inning tied her with former teammate Monica Lucatero for second
place on the Big West and Cal State Fullerton career home run charts with
29. She trails only Yasmin Mossadeghi (now the team manager), who holds
both records with 47 career home runs from 1999-2002.
Also, Moran notched her first collegiate hit in the seventh with a single
through the left side. She had walked in each of her two previous plate
appearances.
In game two, the Titans sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning
to set the tone for the offense and Gina Oaks tossed a one-hit shutout
in the night cap as Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside, 8-0, in
five innings.
Topping's RBI single in the first gave Fullerton a 1-0 lead which was
extended to 3-0 three batters later when Amanda Hockett singled home a
pair. The Titans' plated three more runs in the frame on a pair of errors
and an RBI single by Heather Saltarelli for the 6-0 lead.
Fullerton then added a run each in the second and third innings on run-scoring
hits by Krista O'Hanian and Topping to make it 8-0.
The Highlanders got their hit in the third when leadoff hitter Jamie Yee
singled with two outs. UCR had just one baserunner reach second base.
Oaks (16-6) went the distance, allowing just the one hit, walking one
and striking out eight. Jenell Jackson (2-18) took the loss, giving up
seven runs (four earned) on eight hits, walking one and striking out one.
Nicole Bethurum pitched the final three innings, allowing a run on two
hits.
Both teams return to action on Sunday afternoon (April 27) at Noon for
the final game of the three-game series at the UCR Softball Field.
