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Fullerton
Advances to Regional Championship May 21, 2005 – Westwood, Calif. Box Score Katie Gollhardt's infield single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th inning drove home Whitney Kroh with the game-winning run as the third-seeded Titans came from behind to defeat top-seeded UCLA, 2-1, on Saturday morning/afternoon at Easton Stadium. Fullerton improved to 30-19 overall in the three-hour, 39-minute marathon that began at 10 a.m., and extended its winning streak to 11 games -- the longest for Cal State Fullerton since winning 11 straight in 2003. The Titans, who had lost five of the last six meetings to the Bruins entering the day, including 2-of-3 this season, are now 2-0 in the regional and advance to "Championship Sunday" to face a to be determined opponent at 12 p.m. for a shot at the Super Regional round. Fullerton only has to win one of two games on Sunday afternoon to advance. UCLA fell to 31-17 overall and fell into the losers bracket to face either LMU or UNLV later on Saturday in an elimination game for the right to meet the Titans on Sunday. After 10 innings of scoreless softball, the Bruins were the first to break onto the scoreboard in the top of the 11th inning as Jodie Legaspi slammed her ninth home run of the season, a two-out shot to left that narrowly cleared the fence for the 1-0 lead. However, the Titans, who outhit UCLA 7-5 on the day, rallied back in their half of the inning. Freshman Crystal Vieyra led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch for the second time in the game (and 17th time this season) and moved to second on a wild pitch. Freshman Whitney Kroh then drew a four-pitch walk to put a pair of runners on after striking out in her three previous at-bats against Bruins' starter Anjelica Selden (20-11). The Titans' rally continued as senior Lindsey Bashor, who extended her hitting streak to 11 games with her 3-for-5 outing, laid down a perfect drag bunt for her third hit of the day and load the bases with no outs. Selden struggled with her control the entire inning, walking two, but the big blow that opened the gates came in the second pitch of Amanda Kamekona's at bat when the ball went into the dirt and got past catcher Emily Zaplatosch, scoring Vierya from the third to tie the game. Kamekona, who also had three hits on the day, then drew a walk to reload the bases and bring up Gollhardt, whose high chopper to shortstop was fielded by Legaspi, but her throw home to get the lead runner was too late as Kroh slid in with the game-winner. Cal State Fullerton had a golden chance to end the game earlier in the sixth as the Titans put runners on second and third with no one out. Selden then struck out Gollhardt for the first out and the Bruins' defense caught the Titans on a squeeze attempt, throwing out Bashor trying to steal home. Candice Baker would then bounce back to the circle to end the threat. UCLA left eight runners on base (three in scoring position, including a runner at third base in the third inning) while Fullerton stranded seven. Baker (9-9) was spectacular in the circle, throwing a career-high 11 innings, surrendering only one run on five hits, walking four and striking out three. She retired 10-of-11 batters from the sixth to ninth innings and allowed only two hits through the first eight innings. Selden suffered the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out 10 batters. She retired 14 batters from the sixth to the 10th innings until Vieyra's hit by pitch to led off the 11th. OTHER NOTABLES: The 11-inning contest was the longest for the Titans in 2005 and the longest in the 63-game series between Cal State Fullerton and UCLA... Fullerton improved to 4-4 this season in extra inning games... the series with the Bruins is now tied at 31-31-1 and the Titans improved to 7-9 against UCLA in the postseason, meeting for the first time since the 1996 regionals at Fullerton... it was only the second postseason win for the Titans against UCLA in the last 10 meetings... Cal State Fullerton improved to 2-0 in a regional for the first time since 2002 in Fresno, Calif... With her two hit by pitches, Vieyra moves into sole possession of second place on the school's single season list in that category (three short of the school record) and third place on the career list... the Titans won 30 games for the 24th time in 26 seasons of softball at Cal State Fullerton dating back to the 1980 season. ####
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