COLLEGE SOFTBALL / CAL STATE FULLERTON PONY TOURNAMENT : Titans End Long Losing Streak Against Fresno State

Cal State Fullerton’s 4-0 victory over Fresno State in the quarterfinals of the Pony Louisville Slugger tournament Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton came as little surprise to Coach Judi Garman.

The Titans (19-6), who had lost six in a row to the Bulldogs, including two games in Fresno earlier this season, guaranteed a victory before the teams took the field.

“Everybody was saying ‘We are going to win,’ ” Garman said. “This team thought it was going to win tonight. That was the difference.”

Revenge, combined with four Fresno State errors and starting pitcher Jennifer Mortensen’s best outing of the season, helped the Titans to their first victory over Fresno State since a 21-inning, 3-2 road victory in May, 1992.

The Titans advance to today’s semifinals, which will be held at 9 and 11 a.m. The final is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Mortensen, who lost a 2-1, 10-inning decision Feb. 28 in Fresno, scattered five hits and struck out seven. Mortensen (6-3) retired 12 of the final 13 batters she faced.

“This was the best she’s pitched all year,” Garman said. “In the games that she has started, she has struggled in the first couple innings, but we did something different this time and it worked. Hopefully it will work for the rest of the season.”

Fullerton jumped ahead in the second inning on second baseman Chris Zboril’s third home run of the season.

The Titans added two more runs in the third. Left fielder Tracie Noggle singled and was sacrificed to second. Center fielder Beth Queypo singled and went to second on the throw to third. Fresno State’s Jo Pini threw wildly home on Rose Garces’ sacrifice bunt, enabling Noggle and Queypo to score.

The Titans’ final run came on Fresno State’s second error of the game. Third baseman Traci Fischer doubled and scored on Pini’s second throwing error.

“We just tried to be aggressive,” Garman said. “We hit and run a lot and made them hurry. This was uncharacteristic of a Fresno State team. You don’t expect them to make four errors in a game.”

In the first-round game, the Titans jumped all over Oregon State pitcher Heather Reynolds for five runs in the first inning en route to a 9-1 five-inning victory.

The five-run first was highlighted by a three-base error by catcher Heather Valenty on Julie Williams’ sacrifice bunt, which allowed three runs to score.

Starter Bradi Isgar (9-1), who pitched a perfect game Friday, allowed one run and five hits and struck out seven.