Cal State Fullerton was swept in day two of the 2004 Palm Springs Classic
in Cathedral City, Calif., falling 2-1 to Baylor and 8-1 to No. 2 Arizona
on Saturday afternoon at the Big League Dreams Park.
The Titans fell to 3-6 overall and are 1-3 in the tournament with one
game to play.
In the first game of the day, Baylor scored an unearned run on a throwing
error in the bottom of the seventh to escape with a 2-1 upset of Cal State
Fullerton.
With the score tied 1-1, Baylor's Carrie Leerberg smacked a one-out single
to center off hard-luck loser Brooke Weekley (2-2), advanced to second
on a ground out and stole third. She came home to score the winning run
when Titan catcher Jennifer Holt's throw missed the mark on the steal
attempt.
The Bears scored first as Tessa Lynam hit a home run to right for the
1-0 lead. Cal State Fullerton answered back with a run in the fourth on
an RBI double to center by Candice Baker, scoring Monica Tantlinger to
tie the game.
Weekley allowed the earned run on six hits, walking only one and striking
out four in the complete-game effort. Cristin Vitek (5-2) earned the win
in relief, allowing a hit and striking out five in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Julie Watson, Tantlinger, and Jody Campbell each had hits for the Titans
along with Baker's double. Leerberg had a pair of hits for the Bears.
In the nightcap, Arizona's Alicia Hollowell scattered just three hits
and struck out 16 batters in the complete-game victory, lifting her Wildcats
to an 8-1 win over Cal State Fullerton.
Titans junior Lindsey Bashor was 2-for-3 at the plate, but Fullerton could
not counter the powerful offense of Arizona, which scored eight runs on
nine hits, with only two of those going for extra bases.
Baker (1-4) suffered the loss, allowing six earned on nine hits, walking
five and striking out two in six innings.
The first three batters in Arizona's lineup went a combined 6-for-10 with
six runs scored and four RBI, including Autumn Champion's 3-for-3 outing.
Wendy Allen was 2-for-4 with three RBI.
The Wildcats opened with three runs in the first on a two-run double by
Allen and a run-scoring single by Jackie Coburn. They scored another in
the fourth on Champion's RBI single, and four times in the sixth on an
RBI hit by Allen after three infield hits, a hit by pitch with the bases
loaded, and a two-run Titan error.
Cal State Fullerton scored its only run in the sixth after Watson reached
on a one-out infield single, stole second, moved to third on a single
by Bashor, and scored on a wild pitch.
The Titans conclude the tournament on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. as they
take on nationally-ranked Alabama.
