March 29, 2008

Box Score - Game 1 | Box Score - Game 2

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - The Cal State Fullerton softball team opened its 2008 Big West Conference schedule with a pair of losses against defending league champion Cal Poly, falling to the Mustangs by the scores of 9-1 in five innings and 1-0 in 14 innings on Saturday afternoon in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

The losses dropped the Titans to 16-17-1 overall on the year and 0-2 in conference play while Cal Poly improved to 14-13 overall, 2-0 in league play.

In the opener, the Mustangs erased an early lead thanks to a seven-run third inning and cruised to a 9-1 victory in a game shortened to five innings thanks to the run-rule.

Fullerton scored the first run of the game in the second in as an error on a single to left by Courtney Martinez plated Lauren Lupinetti all the way from first base for the 1-0 advantage.

However, Cal Poly jumped all over starter Christine Hiner for seven runs in the third as five different Mustangs had RBI hits in the inning, including a single by Jenna Maiden to tie the game and a single by Melissa Pura to bring home the game-winner early in the frame with one out.

The home team added two more in the fourth as Anna Cahn's two-run single up the middle gave the Mustangs a 9-1 lead. In the circle, Cahn then allowed only a two-out single to Jessica Doucette in the fifth before retiring the side with a strikeout to end the game.

Cahn (4-6) allowed the unearned run on three hits while striking out four to earn the victory. Hiner (7-8) was tagged with the loss for the Titans, allowing nine runs (four earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Freshman Ari Cervantes allowed a hit in the final 1/3 of an inning for the Titans in relief.

In the nightcap, Doucette threw every pitch for 13 2/3 innings, but a one-out triple by Stephanie Tam in the 14th inning and a sacrifice fly by Melissa Pura drove home the game's only run in the 1-0 extra-inning Mustangs' win.

It is the longest game in terms of innings for the Titans this season and the longest since a 16-inning outing at Cal State Northridge on April 24, 1999. The school record for the longest game innings-wise is 21 versus Fresno State on May 3, 1992.

Doucette (9-8) allowed only three hits and struck out seven until the 14th inning when the Mustangs scored the only run of the game. She threw 186 pitches for the game in the loss.

Cahn (5-6) earned her second win of the day, this one coming in relief, allowing just three hits in the final five innings of work.

Fullerton stranded 17 runners on base for the game, leaving eight in scoring position. The Titans left the bases loaded in the first and had runners at second or third base in the eighth, 12th, and 13th innings.

Cal Poly had only two runners reach second base for the game until Tam's triple in the final inning that led to the winning run.

Doucette finished 3-for-7 to lead all players in the nightcap while Kiki Munoz also had a pair of hits as Fullerton outhit Cal Poly, 9-4, and couldn't take advantage of three Mustangs' errors.

The two teams close out the series on Sunday afternoon (March 30) at 12 p.m. with a single game.