By The 49ers beat the Fullerton Titans twice on Wednesday at the 49er Softball Complex to complete the three-game sweep and take sole possession of second place in the Big West.
“We’ve been picking it up, as you can see,” Sophomore catcher Lauren Lombardi said. “We’ve been doing better and better, and I think everybody’s getting more comfortable with each other. We’re rallying together.”
Fullerton (27-20, 5-7) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but Long Beach State (21-22, 8-4) responded swiftly in the bottom half of the inning. After loading the bases, CSUF right-hander Jasmine Antunez walked in a run to tie the game at one a piece.
Lombardi stepped up to the plate, and with the count 3-1 she took a swing that sent the ball over the centerfield fence for her second grand slam in as many games.
“I just came up there and I knew what I had to do,” Lombardi said. “I just had to move people over and get on base. It’s almost like you have so much pressure on you that you just have to wipe everything out.”
Lombardi’s eighth home run of the season tied her with teammate Darian Tautalafua for the most runs batted in a single season.
Sowder praised her hitter for the intensity she continues to bring every time.
“Just watching her bunt in practice, you could see the focus on her face,” Sowder said. “I don’t think she’s taken any at-bat differently than any other. She’s really in the zone, and I’m just happy for her [and] for us.”
Sophomore right-hander Christina Clermont pitched her 13th complete game of the season to seal the 5-1 win.
“We’re playing with a lot of confidence when [Clermont]’s in the circle,” head coach Kim Sowder said. “She’s put a lot of good games together in a row now.”
Game two was a much closer game. Fullerton jumped to a 5-2 lead in the third inning, but the 49ers rallied in the fifth when a two-out Titans error gave LBSU extra at-bats. A two RBI single by junior infielder Darian Tautalafua and an RBI single by freshman infielder Julia Lombardi tied the game at five.
The Titans added a run in the top of the seventh, but with one-out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Lombardi hit a sharp grounder that second baseman Samantha Galarza was unable to handle. The error allowed pinch runner Rachel Loera to score the game-winning run from second base gave LBSU the 7-6 victory.
“It was really a nice win for us, to come back like that,” Sowder said.
The 49ers will look to continue their good run when they host first place Cal State Northridge at the 49er Softball Complex on Saturday at 1p.m.
