Cal State Fullerton sophomore Brooke Weekley struck out a career-high
12 batters in game two and senior LIndsey Bashor had four hits, including
a grand slam in game one, to help lead the Titans to a doubleheader sweep
of Cal State Northridge on Friday night at the Titan Softball Complex.
With the victories, Cal State Fullerton extended its winning streak to
a season-high eight games, improving to 27-19 overall, 13-7 in the Big
West Conference. Cal State Northridge fell to 16-22 overall, 5-15 in league
play.
The pair of wins on the evening also gave Cal State Fullerton Head Coach
Michelle Gromacki her 100th career Big West coaching win, becoming the
ninth head coach in conference history to reach the century mark in wins.
Gromacki is 100-34 all-time in Big West Conference play, with four league
crowns.
The two teams conclude their three game series on Saturday afternoon at
1 p.m. Seniors Lindsey Bashor and Monica Tantlinger will be honored prior
to first pitch.
GAME 1: CAL STATE FULLERTON 6, CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 3 Freshman Amanda Kamekona went 3-for-3 and the Titans withstood
a furious seventh-inning rally by Cal State Northridge to take game one
of the doubleheader with a 6-3 decision on Friday night.
Marzan (13-5) threw six strong despite allowing three runs on seven hits
and walking five, eventually giving way to Candice Baker to close things
out in the seventh. However, eight of Baker's nine pitches were balls,
putting a pair of runners on and prompt Marzan's reentry into the circle.
Marzan struck out the Matadors' Kia Fennell and got Janine Grund to fly
out for the first two outs of the innings, but Northridge loaded the bases
on a bloop single to left by Jenny Cochran.
Cal Stae Northridge responded by sending pinch-hitter Darcy Hillstrom
to the plate, but Marzan nailed down the win by getting Hillstrom to strike
out swinging on a 1-2 pitch to end the game.
Fennell (10-10) suffered the loss for the Matadors, allowing all six runs
on 10 hits, walking one and striking out two.
The Titans broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second inning as
Fullerton sent nine batters to the plate, scoring five runs on five hits.
Ashley Van Boxmeer got things going, leading off the inning with a single
and moving to third on Kiki Munoz's one-out double to left. That brought
up Marzan, who tallied her first hit since April 3 against Cal Poly, singling
to centerfield and driving home Van Boxmeer for the 1-0 lead.
Crystal Vieyra drew a walk to turn the lineup over and bring up Lindsey
Bashor, who sent an 0-2 offering from Fennell over the left field fence
for her first grand slam as a Titan and her seventh home run of the season
to put the Titans up 5-0.
The Matadors responded with a pair of runs in their half of the third
as Fennell's sacrifice fly plated Heather Martin, who singled to lead
off the inning, for the first Northridge run and Grund added an RBI single
to left one batter later, scoring Jan Moshier to make it 5-2.
Fullerton got one of the two runs back in the third as Van Boxmeer led
off the frame with her seventh home run of the year to centerfield to
make it 6-2.
Cal State Northridge closed to within 6-3 with a single tally in the fifth
as Grund added another two-out RBI single to center, but that would be
as close as the Matadors would get.
Van Boxmeer went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored as seven of the nine
Titan starters had at least one hit. Northridge was led at the plate by
Moshier and Grund, who each had two hits on the day.
GAME 2: CAL STATE FULLERTON 5, CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 1 Candice Baker's squeeze bunt in the fifth drove home Lindsey
Bashor with the go-ahead run and Kiki Munoz's bases-clearing triple broke
open a close game as the Titans swept a doubleheader from visiting Cal
State Northridge by a score of 5-1 in game two on Friday night.
Bashor led off the deciding fifth inning with a single and moved to second
on Amanda Kamekona's sacrifice bunt. After Katie Gollhardt was hit by
a pitch, both players stole second and third with Baker at the plate.
Ahead 2-1 in the count, Baker laid down a perfect bunt back to the circle,
beating the throw to first base and scoring the speedy Bashor from third
to make it 2-1.
After Ashley Van Boxmeer was intentionally walked to load the bases, Northridge
starter Erin Sigala (6-12) got Tiffany Hoff to pop up to shortstop for
the second out. That brought up Munoz, who smacked a triple to left under
the glove of a diving Jan Moshier, clearing the bases for the 5-1 advantage.
Brooke Weekley (6-4) earned the victory, retiring the first 11 batters
of the game and allowing just one run on four hits while striking out
a career-high 12 batters.
Sigala suffered the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits, walking three
and striking out four in five innings of work.
Cal State Fullerton struck first with a single run in the second as Whitney
Kroh reached on a two-out infield single and stole second with Lindsey
Bashor at the plate. Bashor would bring her around to score when she reached
on an infield single that bounced over the glove of a diving Matador second
baseman, allowing Kroh enough time to score.
Weekley got into some trouble in the fourth, allowing Northridge to score
the tying run. Jenny Cochran's two-out double scored Emilee Moores (who
walked to lead off the inning) from second base to knot the score at 1-1.
Bashor led the Titans with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate while Whitney
Kroh, who entered the game with two career hits, went 2-for-3. Grund led
the Matadors with her 2-for-3 performance on the night.
