It came down to the wire, but clutch hitting by the Long Beach State softball team provided a key 1-0 victory Sunday over Cal State Fullerton at the 49er Softball Complex.
The win moved the 49ers (35-15, 13-5 Big West) within a game out of first-place University of Pacific (35-16, 14-4 Big West) in the Big West Conference standings.
LBSU had managed to reach base several times, producing nine hits, but was unable to score until the seventh inning on sophomore Nalani St. Germain’s walk-off single to beat the Titans (21-22, 11-7 Big West) for the second time to take the three-game series.
Sophomore center fielder Bree Stephan began the seventh by slapping a single into center field. One out later, freshman Hannah De Gaetano hit a single off Titans pitcher Ari Cervantes’ glove that moved Stephan to second.
Sophomore Caitrin DeBaun then hit into fielder’s choice, with De Gaetano out at second and Stephan moving to third.
With runners on the corners and two outs, St. Germain hit the game-winning single into left field to score Stephan.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit,” St. Germain said. “I had been struggling all game but wanted to come through for the team.”
After a rough first game on Saturday, freshman pitcher Erin Jones-Wesley (21-5) showed no signs of slowing down after a long season as she came back to record her 11th shutout of the season.
“You just keep pushing and focusing,” Jones-Wesley said. “It’s way more mental than it is physical. Thinking about it is tiring, but once you’re actually in it, the adrenaline and being competitive — you just want to do whatever it takes to get the win.”
Jones-Wesley and Titans pitcher Ari Cervantes had been locked in a pitcher’s duel, with both pitchers giving up hits, but not allowing the other team to score.
“The pitchers were doing an outstanding job,” LBSU head coach Kim Sowder said. “It was just about who was going to come up with the clutch hit.”
Sowder noted that Jones-Wesley was “back to herself today,” and that she had found a way to “get out of jams all season long.”
Jones-Wesley finished with three strikeouts, while giving up seven hits.
Cervantes (15-13) took the loss for the Titans, giving up the lone run in the seventh, while allowing nine hits and striking out four.
Sunday’s game, the last home game for The Beach, also included a pre-game celebration of its senior players; first baseman Christina Schallig, third baseman Liz Javier, pitcher Brooke Turner and designated hitter Andrea Littleworth. Their numbers were also displayed in the outfield grass.
LBSU will return to conference play against UC Riverside in its last series of the season. First game is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
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