Cal State Fullerton junior Marissa Marzan went 3-for-6 at the plate to
lead the Titans' offense and sophomore right-hander Candice Baker tossed
a complete game with six strikeouts as Fullerton split its two games on
day one at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Classic hosted by UCLA at Mayfair
Park in Lakewood, Calif.
The Titans (1-1 overall) fell in the opener to No. 7 Georgia by a 6-2
count, but rebounded to pull off an upset of No. 3 UCLA, 4-3, in the second
contest of the day.
Fullerton returns to action against the same two teams on Sunday morning
(Feb. 6). The Titans meet the Bulldogs at 9 a.m. before meeting the Bruins
at 11:30 a.m.
NO. 7 GEORGIA 6, CAL STATE FULLERTON 2 Lindsey Bashor and Candice Baker each had a pair of hits, but
a pair of Georgia pitchers stranded seven Titans on the bathpaths as the
No. 7 Bulldogs (1-2 overall) defeated the Titans, 6-2.
Georgia wasted no time in getting on the board, scoring four runs in the
first on back-to-back RBI hits, a bases-loaded walk, and a dropped fly
ball with one out for the quick lead.
Baker got a run back for Cal State Fullerton (0-1 overall) in the second
as she led off with a double and moved to third when the relay throw got
away from the infielders. She eventually scored on a one out double steal
with Ashley Van Boxmeer.
Van Boxmeer brought the Titans to within 4-2 in the fourth, smacking a
one-out double and scoring when Marissa Marzan's single was bobbled in
the outfield.
That would be as close as Fullerton would get as Georgia got an unearned
run back in the fifth on an RBI single by Jessica Gilmore and closed out
the scoring on a three-base throwing error in the sixth, plating Sojourner
Moody for the final 6-2 tally.
CAL STATE FULLERTON 4, NO. 3 UCLA 3 Junior Ashlee Weatherford's two-run single in the fourth snapped
a 2-2 tie and Candice Baker struck out six in the complete-game effort
as Cal State Fullerton upset No. 3 UCLA, 4-3
With the Titans trailing 2-1, Ashley Van Boxmeer and Candice Baker executed
their second double steal of the day as Baker crossed the plate to tie
the game at 2-2.
Kiki Munoz then singled through the left side moving Van Boxmeer to third
and pinch runner Whitney Kroh went to second on a ground out by Marissa
Marzan.
That brought up Weatherford, who smashed a shot down the left field line
that was touched by the Bruins third baseman before going foul, allowing
both runs to score for the 4-2 lead.
UCLA (5-1 overall) got right back in it after Andrea Duran led off the
fifth with a triple to right, Lisa Dodd brought her home with an RBI single
through the left side to make it 4-3.
However, Baker buckled down, retiring eight of the final nine batters
she faced, allowing only a two out single to Dodd in the seventh to nail
down the win.
The Titans stranded seven Bruins' baserunners on the day, including leaving
the bases loaded in the fourth as Baker struck out Ashley Herrera and
Caitlin Benyi swinging to end the threat.
Fullerton struck first as Van Boxmeer was hit by a pitch with one out,
advanced to second on a ground out and scored on Marzan's two-out single
to center for the 1-0 lead.
The Bruins would answer with a pair of runs in the fourth thanks to a
double down the right field line, scoring Jodie Legaspi and Alissa Eno,
giving UCLA its first lead of the game at 2-1.
