Fullerton Moves Closer to World Series, Faces UCLA

It was 10 years ago that Cal State Fullerton won the College World Series in softball.

“That would make it special to go back this year,” Titan Coach Judi Garman said.

Fullerton (41-26) moves into today’s 1 p.m. championship round of the NCAA regional at the Titan Softball Complex needing only one more victory for its second consecutive trip to the World Series.

But the Titans face a formidable challenge against UCLA, a wounded defending national champion. The Bruins must defeat Fullerton twice today to reach their 10th consecutive World Series.

The Bruins (43-9), seeded second and ranked fourth nationally, eliminated top-seeded Northridge, 7-5, Saturday night after scrambling back in the losers’ bracket earlier in the day with an 8-2 victory over Southwest Missouri State.

Fullerton scored nine runs in the first inning, and went on to an 11-0 victory over Northridge earlier to leave the Titans unbeaten in the tournament. The Titans, ranked 15th, won only five of their last 16 games in the regular season.

Fullerton continued its recent hot hitting with two homers in the first three innings of a game that was stopped after the top of the fifth inning under the eight-run rule. Chris Zboril had a grand slam in the first and Traci Fischer a two-run shot in the third. Liza Brown (18-11) pitched a one-hitter for the Titans.

UCLA had 12 hits and B’Ann Burns (27-6) got the win against Northridge.

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In an NCAA regional at Fresno, Long Beach State was eliminated by Fresno State, 3-2, after beating Texas A&M;, 4-1, earlier in the day.

Fresno and California play today for the title.