COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Cal State Fullerton Shuts Out UCLA in Softball

Before Cal State Fullerton’s softball game against top-ranked UCLA Sunday, starting pitcher Ann Van Dorchert told Coach Judi Garman that she felt ill.

“I told her, ‘Great, that’s when you usually pitch your best games because you are so worried about being sick that your concentration on pitching is better,’ ” Garman said.

Van Dorchert left the UCLA hitters feeling ill, pitching a three-hit, 2-0 victory.

The victory gave the fourth-ranked Titans a four-game split in the Big West-Pacific 10 Showdown, a tournament featuring six top-20 ranked teams.

“Van Dorchert did a nice job today of keeping us off-balance,” UCLA Coach Sharon Backus said. “Give all the credit to the Titans.”

Fullerton topped No. 15 Arizona State, 3-2, in its first game Sunday.

Against UCLA, Titan center fielder Mich DeBree, who earned all-tournament honors, had the key hit in the second inning. Her line-drive single to center drove in the only two runs of the game.

Van Dorchert took care of the rest, improving her record to 2-1, and giving Fullerton some much needed confidence.

“Against UCLA yesterday, some of the players were scared to death,” Garman said. “But it will give you confidence when you beat the No. 1 team in a well-played game.

“Heck, and Ann’s only a sophomore,” Garman said. “Here we are handing her the ball for the big game with UCLA, telling her she’s our No. 1 pitcher and she’s supposed to carry the team.

“Today, Ann proved that she can handle those big games.”

Pitching depth could be a problem for Fullerton this season, with only Van Dorchert, sophomore Shireen Campbell, who started only four games last season, and freshman Tracy Tousley available.

But Fullerton’s offense features two returning first-team All-Americans, senior right fielder Carey Hess (team-high .409 batting average, 52 runs scored) and senior first baseman Missy Coombes (.359 batting average, team-high 29 runs batted in).

The Titans also returned 12 of 16 players from a squad that had a team average of .267 last season and averaged more than three runs a game.

“This tournament showed us what areas we need to work on in practice,” Garman said. “I feel pretty good right now, and I think if Ann’s healthy, we can beat anyone.”

In the Pacific 10 wrestling:

Cal State Bakersfield 29, Cal State Fullerton 6--Lyndon Campbell won a 5-3 decision at 134 pounds and Ramon Diza won a 3-1 decision at 177 pounds for visiting Fullerton.