Cal State Fullerton Shuts Out Northwestern, 2-0

3/5/2016 9:37:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

FULLERTON, CALIF. – A trio of Cal State Fullerton pitchers combined to one-hit Northwestern's offense while the Titans squeaked across a pair of unearned runs in the third inning to hold off the Wildcats, 2-0, Saturday night at the Judi Garman Classic.

Northwestern now is 7-11 overall on the season. Cal State Fullerton is 12-7.

NU is scheduled to conclude the Judi Garman Classic at 11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. PT tomorrow, Sunday, March 6, against No. 19 Arizona State.

Though Northwestern had just a single hit in the game, it had plenty of base runners after drawing six walks and having another batter reach on catcher's interference. Call it effective wildness or whatever you like, but NU was never able to get an RBI knock with those runners aboard.

Both teams stranded runners in scoring position in the first two innings, and Northwestern left a few more aboard in the third during an interesting inning. Both Sabrina Rabin and Krista Williams walked to start the frame, prompting Fullerton to replace starter Desiree Ybarra in the circle with Jasmine Antunez. Rabin was caught stealing third during an at-bat that eventually ended in an Andrea Filler walk before the count ran full to senior Amy Letourneau. With that full count, Fullerton elected to change pitchers again, this time going to freshman Sydney Golden, who was able to strike out Letourneau on an appealed swing before notching another strikeout to end the threat.

Cal State Fullerton scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third after a one-out single and walk came around to eventually score on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 Titans edge. Fullerton threated again in the fourth with three one-out singles to load the bases. The next batter hit a tricky hopper to Filler at short that the fifth-year senior gloved expertly and then threw home for the force. Wood then found herself in a 3-0 pickle, but worked all the way back to a swinging strikeout to end the inning.

Junior Nicole Bond relieved Northwestern starter Kristen Wood in the circle to begin the bottom of the fifth. After Bond retired the first batter, the next two reached and made their respective ways to second and third. With a 3-0 count on the ensuing Titan to the plate, Letourneau entered the circle in relief and tossed three-consecutive strikes to get the strikeout. Brooke Marquez then made a solid backhand at second on a ball hit sharply up the middle to end yet another Fullerton threat without any runs across.

On a night when NU's pitching and defense largely performed well, the offense never was able to stage a rally in the Wildcats' first shutout of the year.

Wood (1-3) went 4.0 innings in the start, allowing two unearned runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Bond tossed one-third of an inning, walking one. Letourneau went 1.2 frames of perfect relief, striking out one.