Cal State Fullerton split its two games for the second consecutive day
on day two of the Fiesta Bowl Classic hosted by Arizona State, falling
to Texas State, 4-2, in eight innings and holding off a hard-charging
Massachusetts squad, 6-5, in the nightcap at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex
in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Titans remained at the .500 mark at 2-2 overall on the season with
one game to play in the tournament.
In the opener, Texas State scored three runs without the benefit of a
hit in the eighth inning, and held off Fullerton for the 4-2 victory.
The Titans went extra innings for the second consecutive game after downing
No. 10 Texas, 10-3, in eight innings in Friday's second game.
Senior catcher Jennifer Holt gave the Titans the early 1-0 lead, blasting
her first home run of the year to left centerfield to lead off the third
inning. That advantage stood until the Bobcats' half of the fifth when
Rachael Bonetti's sacrifice fly plated Jannelle Wolters with the tying
run.
The score remained knotted until the eighth when Texas State jumped all
over Titans' freshman starter Candice Baker (1-2), scoring three runs
(only one earned) thanks to an error, a hit batter, and three consecutive
walks. Freshman Brooke Weekley entered in relief and retired the next
three batters in order to end the threat.
Cal State Fullerton managed a rally in its half of the eighth when senior
Julie Watson's one-out RBI single to right scored runner Carolyn Bullard
to close the gap to 4-2. However, TSU starter Nicole Neuerburg retired
the next two batters in order to end the game.
In the day's second game, the Titans scored a run in the first and five
more in the fourth, but had to scramble to hold on to the lead in defeating
Massachusetts, 6-5.
Weekley (1-0) earned her first collegiate victory, allowing three runs
on six hits and striking out six without a walk. Kelli Arnold was the
loser for the Minutewomen, allowing four earned on 10 hits, walking three
and striking out seven.
Fullerton struck first, scoring a run in the opening inning on junior
Lindsey Bashor's RBI single back up the middle, scoring Watson for the
1-0 lead. It stayed that way until the fourth when the Titans exploded
for five runs thanks to an error and RBI hits from freshman Jenna Wheeler,
Weekley, and Bashor.
UMass responded with three runs in its half of the inning thanks to an
RBI triple by Katie Jo Kelley and a two-run home run to left center by
Jamie Cahalan to make it 6-3.
The Minutewomen got even closer in the sixth, when pinch runner Nicole
Wilson scored on a passed ball and Amanda Morin drove in another when
she was hit in the head by an errant pitch with the bases loaded to make
it 6-5.
The Titans had a chance to close it out, putting runners at second and
third with no outs in the fifth and with two outs in the sixth, but could
not break through.
Massachusetts got a one-out single by Kelley and a two-out hit by Denise
Denis in the seventh, but Weekley got all three outs in the frame via
the strikeout to end the threat.
Cal State Fullerton got a lift from the middle of its order, as the 3-4-5-6
hitters combined to go 8-for-14 with three runs and three RBI.
Fullerton closes out its tournament schedule on Sunday morning (Feb. 15)
at 10 a.m. against Syracuse.
