CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team opened play at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a 6-5 eighth-inning loss to No. 4 Oklahoma and an 8-5 win over Rutgers. The Titans improved to 5-7 overall.Â
No. 4 Oklahoma 6, Cal State Fullerton 5 (8 innings)Â
Oklahoma struck first in the first inning with an RBI double down the left field line. An infield hit by
Kate Verhoef (2-for-3, RBI, SB) gave
Ava Arce, who doubled earlier in the second inning, enough time to reach home and tie the game.
Alexia Lopez (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third with a double that she turned into three bases on a throw home, scoring
Sarah Perez (1-for-2, R, 2 BB) and
Colby McClinton. The Titans extended their lead to 4-1 on a fielder's choice before the Sooners escaped the inning.Â
The Sooners flexed their bat power in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run home run, cutting Fullerton's lead to 4-3, then tied the game at 4-4 with a solo shot to center field in the fourth.
The Titans and Oklahoma remained tied through six innings before Lopez and
Sarah Coccillos hit back-to-back doubles to opposite fields for a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh.Â
Trisha McCleskey entered in the seventh and struck out the first batter she faced, but allowed a game-tying home run with two outs. Oklahoma secured the walk-off win in the eighth with a bases-loaded hit to left field.Â
Eva Hurtado (3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) and
Leanna Garcia (3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) also pitched for the Titans.Â
Cal State Fullerton 8, Rutgers 5Â
The Titans jumped to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly before Rutgers plated two runs in the second for a 2-1 lead.
Lopez (1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, R) reclaimed a 3-2 advantage for the Titans in the third inning with her first collegiate home run to center field that scored McClinton (3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 3 R, RBI).Â
Jenna Stevens extended Fullerton's lead to 5-3 in the fourth with a pinch-hit knock into left field that scored Verhoef and
Nataly Lozano (2-for-4, 2B, R). The Titans found momentum in the sixth with three runs on four hits, rallying to extend the lead to 8-3.
The Titans extended their lead over Rutgers to 8-3 in the sixth, rallying three runs on four hits. Rutgers pulled within three runs on a seventh-inning home run, but Fullerton closed out the night with a relay from Lozano to McClinton to Lopez at the plate.Â
McCleskey improved to 4-5 on the season after pitching a complete game, allowing five runs and seven strikeouts.Â
Fullerton returns to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday to face No. 16 Oregon at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. It will be the third meeting between the Titans and Ducks this season.Â
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