Fullerton sweeps UH, upholds tough reputation

Cal State Fullerton arrived in town as the Big West’s highest-scoring team and the conference’s toughest to score against.

The Titans upheld both distinctions during their stay in Hawaii.

Cal State Fullerton pitchers Desiree Ybarra and Sydney Golden held the Rainbow Wahine softball team to a single run in Saturday’s doubleheader and the league-leading Titans stretched their winning streak to 13 with a series sweep.

Ybarra threw 62⁄3 shutout innings in Cal State Fullerton’s 7-1 win in the opening game at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Golden, who earned the victory in Friday’s series opener, then held UH to four hits in a 2-0 victory in the series finale.

In three games, Golden, a finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award, and Ybarra, a senior left-hander, allowed just two runs between them in the sweep.

“It’s kind of neat, a freshman and senior, a righty and lefty. They really are a dynamic duo,” Cal State Fullerton coach Kelly Ford said. “They have different styles … and just their diversity makes each of them better.”

UH (20-25, 4-8 Big West) dropped eight games behind Cal State Fullerton (38-10, 12-0) with nine to play after being swept at home in a Big West series for the second time since rejoining the conference in 2013.

Cal State Fullerton opened the doubleheader by sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning. Samantha Vandiver opened the game with a triple into the left-field corner and beat the throw to the plate on Missy Taukeiaho’s grounder to second.

After two looping hits fell in to load the bases, Courtney Rodriguez chopped a grounder to shortstop and Breanna Ojala’s throw to the plate was wild, allowing two runs to score. Sydney Colenzo followed with an RBI single to give the Titans a 4-0 lead.

“We made some really bad decisions in that first game,” UH coach Bob Coolen said. “Just one thing led to another, led to another and next thing you know we’re in the hole again.”

That was more than enough for Ybarra (12-5), who struck out six and walked one while allowing seven hits. She was one out away from the shutout when Keiki Carlos homered in the bottom of the seventh to score UH’s lone run of the afternoon.

Golden then stifled the UH offense in the finale while improving to 16-3. Sarah Moore gave the Titans the lead with a home run to lead off the top of the second and Delynn Rippy drove in a run with a sharp single in the fifth.

UH’s Brittany Hitchcock (9-13) allowed seven hits, struck out two and walked none in the loss.

BIG WEST SOFTBALL

Saturday

UC Santa Barbara 3, Long Beach State 2

Long Beach State 14, UC Santa Barbara 6

UC Riverside 7, UC Davis 2

UC Riverside 3, UC Davis 0

CSUN 6, Cal Poly 3

CSUN 4, Cal Poly 1

Cal State Fullerton 7, Hawaii 1

Cal State Fullerton 2, Hawaii 0

Today

Long Beach State at UC Santa Barbara, 10 a.m.

UC Riverside at UC Davis, 10 a.m.

CSUN at Cal Poly, 10 a.m.

Desiree Ybarra and Alexis Gonzalez, Kylie Padilla (4). Kanani Aina Cabrales, Jennifer Iseri (5) and Heather Cameron, Rachel Lack (2), Cameron (5). W—Ybarra. L—Aina Cabrales.

Leading hitters—Cal State Fullerton: Samantha Vandiver, 3B; Missy Taukeiaho, RBI; Melissa Sechrest, 3-3, 2 RBIs; Sydney Colenzo, 2 RBIs. Hawaii: Sarah Muzik, 2B; Keiki Carlos, 2-4, HR; Alia Monges, 2-3.

Sydney Golden and Alexis Gonzalez, Kylie Padilla (6). Brittany Hitchcock and Heather Cameron. W—Golden. L—Hitchcock.

Leading hitters—Cal State Fullerton: Samantha Vandiver, 2B; Gonzalez, 2B; Sarah Moore, HR;

Delynn Rippy, 2-3, RBI.