Fullerton Slides Safely Past Texas

It was one of those plays at the plate that leaves everyone on both teams holding their breath.

When it was over, Cal State Fullerton celebrated a 2-1 victory over Texas in the first round of the NCAA regional softball tournament at Fresno State Thursday night.

The Titans had runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the seventh when Amanda Hockett lined a single to right. Texas right fielder Audrey Hendricks made a perfect throw to the plate, but Jessica Maloney knocked the ball out of catcher Marlo Hanks’ grasp with her slide and scored the winning run.

“It was one of those plays where she got there at just the right time to force the ball to go loose,” Titan Coach Michelle Gromacki said.

It produced the first NCAA tournament victory for Fullerton’s first-year coach, and it came against the team coached by her teammate on Fullerton’s 1986 national championship team, Connie Clark. Texas had beaten Fullerton by one run during the regular season.

“Hendricks has one of the best arms in Division I, and she made a great throw, but you have to be able to put the tag down on a play like that,” Clark said.

The victory moved the second-seeded Titans (45-13) into a second-round game tonight at 7:30 against third-seeded California, which defeated Florida, 2-0, behind the four-hit pitching of Jocelyn Forest. Fresno State ripped Maryland Baltimore County, 10-1, in Thursday’s other game.

Texas (29-26-1) put the pressure on Fullerton in the top of the seventh but failed to score. Kathleen Richter singled with one out, and pinch runner Tiffany Valdehueza reached third after a passed ball and a wild pitch by Titan starter Jodie Cox.

Christy Robitaille (14-6), who picked up the victory, replaced Cox at that point. Robitaille gave up a walk, but Hockett, the Titan shortstop, turned a line drive into a double play that ended the inning.

It was typical for the Longhorns, who left 12 runners on base, 10 in the first four innings.

Cox had control problems early, walking six and hitting one batter in the first three innings, but Texas got only one run when Cox was struggling.

In the second, Cox walked leadoff batter Autumn Eastes, who was safe at second on a fielder’s choice when the umpire ruled second baseman Kristy Osborne failed to touch the base on a force play. Eastes moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored when Cox threw wildly when Eastes was caught off third on a ground ball back to the Titan pitcher.

The Titans tied it in the third when Hockett doubled and scored on Brenda Iglesias’ two-out single.

“I was concerned after those first two innings,” Gromacki said. “We were putting all those runners on base, and we were beating ourselves. . . . But after we settled down and tied the score, I thought we were going to come back.”