March 10, 2006

Box Score - Game One | Box Score - Game Two

SAN DIEGO, CA - The Cal State Fullerton softball team continued it string of "splits" on Friday night, falling in the opener of a doubleheader against San Diego State, 3-1, before coming back in the nightcap and shutting out the Aztecs, 8-0, in game two in San Diego.

The Titans improved to 14-12 overall on the season while SDSU fell to 14-5.

Fullerton returns to action next week with a difficult slate of games that begins on Tuesday (March 14) with a 6 p.m. contest against the University of Utah before opening pool play at the 2006 Judi Garman Classic presented by Coach USA on Wednesday (March 15) against Notre Dame.

GAME 1: SAN DIEGO STATE 3, CAL STATE FULLERTON 1
San Diego State starter Christina Ross allowed just one run on six hits while striking out eight to help propel the Aztecs to a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton in the first of two games on Friday night.

Ross (6-3) tossed six shutout innings before the Titans finally broke through on the scoreboard in the seventh on an RBI triple by sophomore Katie Gollhardt to bring Fullerton to within two runs.

Melissa Owens gave San Diego State the early lead in the fourth as she smacked a two-out solo home run down the right field line off Fullerton starter Candice Baker (9-4) to make it 1-0.

The Aztecs added two more in the fifth as Chrissie Markham led off with a walk, stole second, and scored on Meagan Hartung's double to center to make it 2-0.

Hartung then moved to third on a bunt single by Tamani Wells and scored two batters later on Megan McDonald's sac bunt that moved Wells to third and make it 3-1.

Gollhardt and junior Ashley Van Boxmeer each went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Titans. Baker suffered the loss, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out five.

GAME 2: CAL STATE FULLERTON 8, SAN DIEGO STATE 0
Cal State Fullerton senior Marissa Marzan tossed a six-hit complete-game shutout and a pair of Titans had three-hit games as Fullerton avenged its game one loss to San Diego State with an 8-0 win in the nightcap.

Marzan (4-3) struck out three in the victory as she and the Titans' defense combined to strand six Aztecs on base.

Van Boxmeer and sophomore Kiki Munoz each went 3-for-4 as Van Boxmeer drove in a pair and scored three times while Munoz finished with three RBI.

The Titans got things going in the second as Van Boxmeer led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Munoz's one-out single through the left side to make it 1-0.

Fullerton added three more runs in the third as Baker led off with a hit by pitch, moved on second on a sac bunt by Crystal Vieyra and scored on Jenna Wheeler's two-out triple to right field to make it 2-0. Van Boxmeer then followed with her sixth home run of the season to left center, upping the Titans' lead to 4-0 before rain suspended the game.

When play resumed, Marzan reached on an infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Baker tripled to center, scoring Marzan for the 5-0 advantage. Two batters later, senior Molly Perez brought Baker home on another infield hit to make it 6-0.

Munoz then accounted for the Titans' final two runs of the night as her RBI single in the fifth drove home Van Boxmeer and her RBI triple in the seventh plated Gollhardt with the final tally of the night.

Seven different Fullerton players had hits as five of the Titans' 11 hits went for extra bases.

Celena Velasquez (4-2) suffered the loss for San Diego State, allowing four runs on five hits before giving way to Melissa Owens in the fourth.