Clutch hitting and outstanding relief pitching from sophomore Candice
Baker helped host Cal State Fullerton to a non-conference doubleheader
sweep of visiting Loyola Marymount, as the Titans downed the Lions 3-2
in game one and 5-4 in eight innings in the nightcap.
Fullerton improved to 18-14 overall and extended its winning streak to
a season-best five games. LMU saw its four-game winning streak snapped
as it fell to 25-15 overall.
Baker earned the win in relief in both games on the night as she tossed
a combined 8 1/3 innings allowing just one hit, walking two and striking
out 11 to improve to 8-5 overall on the season. She also went 3-for-6
with three RBI in both games, including a game-tying two-run home run
in game two.
Cal State Fullerton returns to action next week as the Titans return to
Big West Conference play with six games in five days. Fullerton travels
to Long Beach to take on the 49ers in a three game series on April 19-20
before returning home to face Utah State on April 23-24 at the Titan Softball
Complex.
GAME 1: Cal State Fullerton 3, Loyola
Marymount 2 Freshman Whitney Kroh's first career hit turned out to be a game-winner
as her one-out double in the bottom of the seventh drove home Crystal
Vieyra with the game-winner as the Titans prevailed 3-2 in the opening
game of the doubleheader.
Vieyra was hit by the first pitch from LMU's Kayla Meeks (9-4) with one
out in the final frame and stole second base during Kroh's at bat. The
freshman Kroh then looped an 0-2 offering from Meeks into left centerfield,
scoring Vieyra from second with the winning run.
Each team plated a run in the opening inning as a two-out infield single
by Caylin Hornish plated Danielle Kaminaka for the 1-0 lead. The Titans
responded with a run of its own after Lindsey Bashor led off with a bunt
single and scored on Amanda Kamekona's RBI triple that bounced under the
glove of the right fielder to tie the game.
LMU took the lead back in the fourth on Jessica Grassi's first home run
of the season, but Fullerton scratched back with a run in the sixth on
an RBI single by Baker that looped into left field, scoring Bashor to
tie the game at 2-2.
Baker (7-5) earned the win for the Titans in relief, throwing three innings
of no-hit softball, striking out four of the nine batters she faced. Brooke
Weekley was tagged with the no decision after allowing two runs on four
hits, walking two and striking out five in four innings.
Meeks allowed three runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings, striking out three.
Bashor led the Titans by going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, extending
her team-best hitting streak to seven games. Five other players had single
hits for Fullerton.
GAME 2: Cal State Fullerton 5, Loyola Marymount 4 (8 inn.) An two-out error with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth
plated pinch-runner Whitney Kroh with the game-winning run as the Titans
came from behind to sweep the doubleheader, 5-4, in the nightcap.
The Titans began their comeback trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the
sixth. Freshman Katie Gollhardt led off the inning with a single to bring
up Candice Baker, who took the first pitch she saw from LMU starter Tiffany
Pagano (10-5) over the left field fence for her second home run of the
season and tie the game at 4-4.
After Baker set the Lions down in order in the seventh, Lions escaped
a jam in the Titans' half of the inning, stranding runners on first and
second.
LMU went down in order again in the eighth to set the stage for Fullerton's
comeback. Ashley Van Boxmeer reached on a one-out single and moved to
second on a full-count walk to Tiffany Hoff. That brought up Kiki Munoz,
who reached on a fielder's choice when the throw from shortstop was too
late to get the runner at third, thereby loading the bases.
Junior Marissa Marzan, who started the game in the circle, but earned
a no-decision, then reached on another fielder's choice as LMU went for
the lead runner at the plate for the second out.
That brought up freshman Crystal Vieyra whose soft ground ball bounced
off the glove of the Lions' first baseman, allowing Kroh to score the
game-winning run.
Baker (8-5) earned the win, allowing just one hit in 5.1 innings, walking
two batters and striking out seven. Marzan lasted only 2.2 innings, allowing
four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out three in the no
decision.
Tiffany Pagano (10-5) suffered the hard-luck loss for the Lions, allowing
only two earned runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out five
in the complete game effort.
The Titans took the early lead in the second thanks to some help from
the LMU defense, which committed four errors on the night. With runners
on second and third, Marissa Marzan's two-out ground ball to third was
thrown wide, allowing both Baker and Van Boxmeer to come around and score
for the 2-0 advantage.
The Lions answered back to take the lead in the third as LMU sent 10 batters
to the plate, scoring four runs.
Run-scoring hits by Megan Pineda and Caylin Hornish in the inning tied
the game, and Casie Phillips gave LMU the lead with an RBI single to left
to score Danielle Kaminaka for the 3-2 advantage.
A walk to load the bases forced Marzan from the circle in favor of Baker,
who walked pinch-hitter Kirsten Whitt on five pitches to force in another
run and extend LMU's lead to 4-2. However, she worked out of the jam by
getting Kayla Meeks to fly out to centerfield and strand three runners.
Baker finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored while Van
Boxmeer also finished with a pair of hits.
