The CSUN softball team came into Saturday’s doubleheader vs. Cal State Fullerton, looking to rally after suffering a tough loss in the series opener the night before.
Instead, the Titans completed the sweep over the Matadors, taking game one in a dominant 8-0 performance and followed it up with a 9-5 win in game two. It’s the first time this season the Matadors have been swept.
Coming into the weekend, CSUN was the No. 2 team in the Big West and were looking to potentially jump into first place with a series win, but instead sunk into fourth place. The Matadors drop to 17-21 overall and 10-7 in the Big West.
CSUN coach Charlotte Morgan said the team must quickly learn from their mistakes and regroup.
We had a lot of opportunities to learn and grow. Hats off to Fullerton, they did a great job this whole weekend,” Morgan said. “Every time that we hit failure, we have a choice to learn from it and or let it define us. We’re going to learn from it and this doesn’t define our season…we’ll get to work. It’s that stretch of season where we have to be able to make those adjustments.”
Game one
The Matadors’ hitting woes from the series opener continued into the first game of the doubleheader. CSUN had no answer for CSUF pitcher Leanna Garcia, scraping together only two hits throughout the entire game.
CSUN infielder Tiana Westbrook went 1-2 with a single in the loss, continuing her hot start in conference play.
“She’s just consistent. One thing about her is that she’s never out of it and she’ll take each at bat and learn. And so I think she’s just she’s consistent,” Morgan said about her team’s leading hitter.
Cal State Fullerton capitalized on a three-run first inning to give them momentum early. CSUN pitcher Isabella Alonso settled in after the rough opening inning and threw three scoreless frames before running into trouble during the fifth inning.
The Titans rallied for five of their 11 hits and pushed across five runs in the inning to give seal the run-rule victory.
Game two
Despite CSUF clinching the series in the game one win, the Matadors didn’t show any signs of quitting in game two. The offense was able to piece together their best performance of the series. CSUN manufactured seven hits, more than the first two games of the series combined (5). Kaylee Escutia had a big day at the plate. The senior outfielder went 2-3 with two singles in her lone star during the series.
“Our offense has been known to get better over time,” Morgan noted. “[The offense] was making adjustments, playing better, making them play [defense], and having some better at bats. I think it was good, but obviously not not good enough. We just got to be able to make those adjustments sooner.
Westbrook had her best game of the series, finishing her afternoon 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
“It’s good to have her on our team. She’s just consistent. She has maturity in the box and really makes the other team play defense when she’s up,” Morgan said.
The Titans jumped out to another 3-0 lead in the first inning and had all the momentum again before the Matadors got the bats going.
CSUN chipped at the lead, eventually coming within two runs before another five-run inning in the bottom of the fourth ended the Matadors’ hopes of a comeback.
Heading back to Matador Diamond for a small homestand, CSUN will host Cal State Bakersfield in a three game series beginning with a double-header on Friday, April 19 at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
