FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team went 0-2 against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Saturday night's Big West home opener. The Titans fell 3-7 before falling 9-11 in eight innings. Fullerton stands 16-11 overall and 3-2 in Big West play. 

UC Santa Barbara 7, Cal State Fullerton 3

The Gauchos loaded the bases after three walks in the top of the first before capitalizing on two consecutive hits to put them in front of the Titans, 3-0.

After a two-out single by Nataly Lozano in the bottom half of the inning, Ava Arce crushed a two-run home run over the wall in right center to cut the UC Santa Barbara's lead to one (3-2). Arce extended her team- and conference-leading RBI total to 28, while tying the team lead in home runs with three.

In the fourth inning, a two-out double to right center by Sarah Coccillos scored McClinton, who reached on a hit by pitch, from first to tie the game, 3-3. 

The Gauchos added three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to take a 7-3 lead over the Titans.  The Titans dropped their first conference game of the game of the year while Leanna Garcia (5.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 7 BB, 5 K) and Eva Hurtado (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) combined for seven strikeouts. 

UC Santa Barbara 11, Cal State Fullerton 9 (8) 

UC Santa Barbara beat the Titans to the board for a second time in the first innings, plating two runners on eight at-bats. The early trouble forced the Titans to go to the bullpen and bring Trisha McCleskey in relief of Hurtado (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB). 

In the bottom of the first, Kristalyn Romulo was able to draw a lead off walk for the Titans. Romulo then remained perfect on the bases, recording her team leading 12th stolen base of the year. Romulo later scored on a wild pitch before Alexia Lopez drove in Lozano (walk) on a single to left to help tie the game at 2-2. 

McCleskey retired the Gauchos in order in the second inning, striking out the side. The Titans responded in the bottom half, plating McClinton on a wild pitch for a 3-2 lead.  Shortly after, the Titans added another run on a Romulo double down the right field line to extend the lead to 4-2. 

The Gauchos added three runs in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. Garcia entered in relief of McCleskey (4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2BB, 5 K), who recorded a career-high five strikeouts. The Titans then responded with an RBI single from Arce to bring in Perez (single) before Arce came around to score on a double in the gap by Lopez.

UC Santa Barbara plated four runners on a double and three-run shot to left field to take a 9-8 lead over the Titans. A double into right field by Coccillos tied the game at 9-9, forcing extra innings. Hurtado made her third appearance of the day, allowing two runs to score on a long ball over the left field wall. The Titans found two hits in the bottom of the eighth before a double play ended their night in a 11-9 loss to the Gauchos. 

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