Titan infielder Missy Taukeiaho is having a stellar 2016 season, recording a .376 batting average including a total of 15 RBIs and three home runs.
(Patrick Do/Daily Titan Stock Photo)
Junior catcher Alexis Gonzalez hit her second three-run home run in two games in the 8-2 Cal State Fullerton win over CSU Bakersfield at the Roadrunner Softball Complex on Wednesday.
The Titans (25-9 overall) continue to dominate their opponents, claiming their fifth straight victory with the win over Bakersfield. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners (6-16 overall) have struggled to start the season.
Prior to Wednesday’s matchup, Fullerton played a solid game Tuesday at Anderson Family Field, beating the No. 23 Fresno State Bulldogs 5-0 with the help of Gonzalez’s first-inning homer.
Senior lefty Desiree Ybarra was in the circle for the Titans, pitching a complete-game shutout while earning her seventh win on the season and striking out 11.
Junior righty Cerissa Rivera got the starting nod Wednesday in the circle for the Titans. She entered the contest against CSU Bakersfield coming off impressive back-to-back outings against the Princeton Tigers. She notched a total of 13 innings of scoreless pitching, resulting in two wins for Fullerton.
The bats got off to a great start against the Roadrunners as junior outfielder Delynn Rippy smacked an RBI single up the middle of the diamond to drive in a pair of runs in the second.
Sophomore outfielder Samantha Vandiver followed Rippy’s single with a clutch hit of her own, drilling an RBI double to the left-centerfield gap, which gave the Titans an early 3-0 advantage in only the second inning.
The Roadrunners responded with a threat in the bottom half of that frame, which included runners on second and third with two outs. Fortunately for Fullerton, Rivera forced a grounder to the third baseman to escape the inning unscathed.
The third frame did not go as well for Rivera as CSU Bakersfield sent a runner home off a single and an error by junior infielder Sydney Colenzo. CSUF got out of the inning still ahead 3-1.
CSUF poured on more runs in the fourth inning thanks to an illegal pitch that scored a runner. this was then followed up by a Gonzalez three-run shot to left field as the Titans opened up to a commanding 7-1 lead in the bottom half of the fourth.
Senior pitcher Jasmine Antunez relieved Rivera to start the bottom of the fourth. Rivera was solid, pitching three innings and allowing only one run on five hits with one strikeout.
Fullerton and Bakersfield each added another run in the sixth frame, but the Titans were still able to cruise to a comfortable 8-2 victory. Antunez got the win for CSUF.
Antunez contributed with an impressive four innings of work, allowing one run on four hits. She improved her record to 3-1 on the season.
CSUF scored five of its eight runs off the bats of Gonzalez and Rippy.
The Titans will look to continue their winning ways as they host the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday at Anderson Family Field. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.