No. 7 FULLERTON HOLDS OF NO. 3 MT. SAC
In a battle between two of the state’s top programs, the No. 7 Hornets outlasted No. 3 Mt. San Antonio College holding on for an 8-7 victory in a hot one at home Friday afternoon.
In a battle between two of the state's top programs, the No. 7 Hornets outlasted No. 3 Mt. San Antonio College holding on for an 8-7 victory in a hot one at home Friday afternoon.
Fullerton's non-conference victory gives the team an overall record of 14-5, while the Mt. SAC loss lands them at 21-4 overall.
The Hornets wasted no time responding after Mt. SAC struck first in the second inning. Sophomore Toafa Pua ignited the offense with a momentum-lifting solo jack to left-center tying the game at 1-1. Moments later, Fullerton capitalized on defensive miscues plating two unearned runs to take a 3-1 lead.
Fullerton continued to apply pressure in the third inning. Pua delivered again with an RBI double, and Zoey Bautista followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-2. The Hornets added two more in the fourth inning behind RBI efforts from Alexandria Valdez and Lily Rice stretching the advantage to 7-2.
Pua led the offensive charge finishing 2-4 with a home run, double, and 2 RBI. Juliana Ursino set the tone at the top of the lineup going 2-4 with 2 runs scored, while Madison Beohm and Zoey Bautista each chipped in key contributions in the middle innings.
In the circle, Sam Vizcarra earned the win tossing three innings while striking out three. Grace Workman provided valuable innings in relief before Emma Gamez shut the door earning her second save on the season with 1.2 innings of work and 4 strikeouts.
Mt. SAC refused to go quietly with a three-run seventh inning to cut the deficit to one. With the tying run threatening, Gamez remained composed recording two strikeouts to secure the statement victory.
Up Next: The Hornets (14-5 overall, 4-2 OEC) will return to action on Saturday, March 21st when they host No. 17 Antelope Valley in another non-conference matchup. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm at Hornet Field.
