PONY SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT : Titans Win Two to Take Title

Cal State Fullerton women’s softball Coach Judi Garman won her 800th career college game Sunday morning and her seventh PONY Tournament championship Sunday afternoon.

The Titans, 1-0 winners over Texas A & M in a morning semifinal, came back to defeat Nevada Las Vegas, 5-0, in the afternoon championship game of the five-day, 15-team tournament at the Titan Softball Complex.

Junior pitcher Ann Van Dortrecht threw a two-hitter with five strikeouts in the semifinal, and sophomore pitcher Tiffany Boyd threw a three-hitter with nine strikeouts in the final.

The victories improved seventh-ranked Fullerton’s record to 30-7 and Garman’s 12-year Titan record to 590-166-3. Garman compiled a 211-40 record in four seasons (1975-78) at Golden West College.

“It means I’ve had some awfully good athletes over the years,” Garman said of the 800-victory mark. “I’d have 900 wins, but I’m not as old as Augie (Garrido, Fullerton baseball coach who recently won his 900th career game).”

The Titans scored their only run of the semifinal when Jstone Vines singled in the third inning, stole second and scored on Mich DeBree’s double to center field.

The championship game wasn’t nearly as close. Fullerton scored four runs in the second inning, three on DeBree’s triple to right field, and were never threatened by the fifth-ranked Rebels (27-7).

That gave the Titans their 12th consecutive victory and their first PONY Tournament title since 1987, which also was the last year Fullerton reached the PONY championship game.

“It’s special to be back in the finals,” Garman said. “We’ve been knocked out Sunday morning the last three years. We’re playing very well as a team right now. We’re getting a lot of hits, and when you get a lot of hits, you can make things happen.”

Fullerton is also getting a lot of good pitching, making it difficult for opponents to make much happen. Boyd, the former Woodbridge High School standout who transferred from UCLA, won four tournament games, including a 2-1 victory over fourth-ranked Oklahoma State on Thursday, and saved another.

In four starts, the right-hander allowed one run and 14 hits.

“Look at me--my fingernails are cracked, my fingers are swollen and skin is falling off them,” Boyd said. “It’s been a long weekend, a long tournament, but I’m glad we won.”

Boyd showed some signs of tiring Sunday afternoon, walking four, but she worked herself out of two minor jams. After UNLV opened the third with a single and a walk, Boyd struck out two batters and got No. 3 hitter Chris Parris on a fly to right.

The Rebels had two on with one out in the seventh, but Boyd struck out lead-off hitter Tricia Reimche and got Kenda Leffler to line to short to end the game.

The Titans gave Boyd a four-run cushion, taking advantage of a walk and an error in the second. Jill Matyuch opened the inning with a walk and beat the throw to second on Kim Powers’ sacrifice bunt.

Matyuch was thrown out at third on Boyd’s bunt, but Fullerton loaded the bases on an error. No. 9 batter K.C. Clark, who hadn’t knocked in a run in 34 previous games, then slapped an RBI single to left-center field for the first run.

Boyd was forced out at home on Vines’ bunt for the second out, but DeBree cleared the bases, lining a triple past Leffler, the diving Rebel right fielder. The Titans added another run in the fourth when Boyd doubled to right center and scored on Clark’s single to center. Joy Tiner added three hits for Fullerton.