Arkansas softball made a statement on its first day at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.
The 10th-ranked Razorbacks (12-0) swept a Thursday doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton and Rutgers, winning both games 10-0 in five innings.
Titans Split First Day at Mary Nutter Classic
Softball falls to No. 9 Arkansas in five innings, defeats California 7-4
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team split their first day at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in a run-rule loss to No. 9 Arkansas and a 7-4 victory over California. The Titans stand 9-4 on the season and 1-1 on the weekend.
No. 9 Arkansas 10, Cal State Fullerton 0 (5 innings)
After a scoreless first inning, Arkansas plated at least one runner in the next three frames. They jumped to an early 5-0 lead over the Titans in the second inning, adding a run in the third and four in the fourth.
Arkansas kept the Titans hitless through four, finding their first run in the top of the fifth on Nataly Lozano’s first collegiate triple. Lozano was stranded on base an at-bat later, falling to the Razorbacks (10-0) in five innings.
Leanna Garcia (1.0 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 3 BB) and Eva Hurtado (3.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) combined for the five inning pitched for the Titans. Garcia stands 5-2 on the season, earning her second loss in the circle.
Cal – 4 | Cal State Fullerton – 7
For the second time of the day, Quiroga led the game off with a solo home run to give the Bears the early lead again, her fifth of the season. The Titans responded later in the inning to even the score due to an RBI single.
After loading the bases in the second inning, Mika Lee reached home plate off a wild pitch by the Titans to give the Bears the 2-1 lead. CSU Fullerton scored two runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead into the fourth.
After falling behind 2-4, Acacia Anders came up big to make it a tie game in the fifth inning on a two-RBI double to left field. The Titans added three more runs in the sixth inning en route to securing the victory.
Cal State Fullerton 7, California 4
California’s lead off hitter Lagi Quiroga sent a ball over the left field wall for an early 1-0 lead over the Titans. Fullerton responded in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single through the left side by Alexia Lopez.
This set the pace for a game of tag as the Bears took a 2-1 lead on a wild pitch followed by a tying base knock to left field by Lopez in the third inning.
Nataly Lozano gave the Titans their first lead of the game, 3-2, that same inning after beating out a bunt down the first base line.
The Titans put up a fourth run in the fourth inning as Colby McClinton reached and advanced on a throwing error by Cal’s pitcher. Sarah Perez scored on the play after also reaching and advancing on a throwing error by the catcher an at-bat prior.
California applied the pressure in the fifth inning, tying the game at 4-4 on a ball hit over Kristalyn Romulo’s head in left field. The score remained tied through the remainder of the fifth inning before the Titans rallied three runs on three hits and an error.
The Titans held their 7-4 lead through the seventh inning, as Trisha McCleskey pitched her third complete game of the season. In seven innings, McCleskey allowed four runs on five hits, walked two batters and retired three on strikes. She improves to 4-2 on the season.
The Titans return to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Friday, as they face Bethune-Cookman at 10:00 a.m. and Saint Mary’s, who they eliminated at the 2024 Stanford Regional, at 3:00 p.m.
