For the second time in two weeks, the No. 7 Cal State Fullerton softball
team rallied from a seventh inning deficit to defeat a ranked opponent
-- and senior Jodie Cox proves the hero once again.
Cox tripled to right centerfield with one out and a runner on to tie the
score and scored when the throw home got away from the catcher as Fullerton
came back from two runs down to defeat No. 6 California in the nightcap,
5-4.
The Titans improved to 14-5 overall on the season and 2-0 at the Worth
Invitational. California fell to 12-5 overall and 0-2 in tournament play
after an earlier eight-inning, 4-3, loss to Northwestern.
Just one week ago at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., with the
Titans trailing LSU, 6-4, entering the seventh inning, Cox slapped a two-run
single to center to tie the score and scored the winning run when Jenny
Topping's ground ball was misplayed as the Titans defeated the Tigers,
7-6.
California got on the board first in the fourth inning without a hit.
The first run crossed the plate thanks to a two-out passed ball that would
have been strike three. The Golden Bears added another two batters later
when Kaleo Eldridge was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it
2-0.
Cal State Fullerton cut the lead to 2-1 in its half of the fourth as Jenny
Topping singled to center, bringing home Gina Oaks, who led off the inning
with a walk.
The Golden Bears broke it open in the fifth as Cal loaded the bases with
no outs, starting the inning with three consecutive walks and bringing
two runs home on a double to right centerfield by Courtney Scott to make
it 4-1.
The Titans got one back in the fifth, putting runners on second and third
and scoring on a Gina Oaks groundout to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Amy LaRocque got the Titans even closer in the sixth, sending a one-out,
1-1 pitch over the left field wall for her first round-tripper of the
year (third of her career) to cut the gap to 4-3 and set up Cox's seventh-inning
heroics.
Cox (4-4) earned the victory, allowing four runs (two earned)
on three hits, walking five and striking out nine. Kelly Anderson (5-3)
suffered the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits, walking
four and striking out seven.
In game one earlier in the day, Jenny Topping had an RBI single
the first and the Titans hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the third
as No. 7 Cal State Fullerton rolled to a, 10-1, five-inning victory in
the first game of the 2003 Worth Invitational.
Seven different Titans notched RBI's on the night and every Fullerton
starter notched at least one hit on the night.
Fullerton came out swinging in the first as Topping gave the Titans a
1-0 lead with an RBI single to score Jodie Cox, who doubled.
After a scoreless second inning, Cal State Fullerton broke out the big
bats as Gina Oaks, Cox and Topping found the other side of the fence with
one out home runs to extend the Titans' advantage to 4-0. The Titans then
broke things open with a six run fifth inning as they sent 12 batters
to plate in the frame.
Oaks (10-1) earned the victory, scattering a run on five hits, walking
five and striking out four. Diana LaRiva (1-3), one of three Boilermaker
pitchers on the night, suffered the loss, allowing four runs on six hits
in 2 1/3 innings.
Topping was 3-for-3 on the night with a run scored and two RBI. Oaks and
Cox each added two hits, scored twice and had an RBI. Five other Titans
added base hits on the night.
Cal State Fullerton returns to action on Saturday (March 1) at Noon as
the Titans face Minnesota and again at 4 p.m. against Northwestern.
