The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2023-24 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
Long Beach State traveled to Fullerton for the final series of the 2024 season. This series would decide a Big West champion between the top two teams in the conference.
The Beach (25-29, 20-7) suffered a 4-1 loss on Friday night, setting up an important doubleheader on Saturday.
Saturday’s first game saw Long Beach fall behind 2-0 in the first inning. The next runs wouldn’t be scored until the top of the fifth, when the Beach would score four runs to take the lead.
Senior Cassie Camou hit an RBI double into right field to score Jacquelyn Bickar, who had reached base on a walk. Junior Carly Robbins then singled to score KaLeena Gonzalez, and tie the game 2-2.
Long Beach wasn’t done yet.
Junior Savannah Magadan swatted a double to left center to score Camou and Robbins and top off an electric fifth inning. These four runs would prove to be enough, as the Beach came away with a 4-3 win to take game two.
This set up a Big West Championship game as the second game in the doubleheader and the final game of the series.
“We’re just hoping to keep the momentum going,” Magadan said. “We’re on a high when we win.”
Subscribe to the562 on GiveButter to make a recurring donation and keep Long Beach sports coverage free!
Long Beach stayed hot, using this momentum to score two early runs in the first inning.
Bickar singled up the middle and was moved over to third after Makayla Medellin’s single to first base. Senior Jocylyn Vidal brought Bickar home with a single to centerfield. Robbins then singled to centerfield to bring Vidal home.
Senior Sophia Fernandez was back in the circle for the Beach just a half hour after closing out game two and earning the save.
“Sophia pitched a lot, she pitched her heart out and really led the way for us getting to this point in the season without a doubt,” said Kim Sowder, Long Beach State head coach. “She’s gonna give you everything she’s got, and she did that.”
Fullerton (36-17, 22-5) responded in the bottom of the first, evening the score at two after senior Peyton Toto’s triple brought in seniors Hannah Becerra and Bailey Wallace.
“We did a really good job of jumping on the board early,” Sowder said. “They did a great job just responding, you know, it was back and forth.”
With bases loaded in the third inning, senior Sinclair Lawhorn reached on a fielder’s choice after a groundball to second base that scored Robbins. The Beach took their first lead of the game 3-2.
The bottom of the third inning got away from Long Beach, as the Titans responded in dominating fashion.
A line drive to right field put leadoff hitter Megan Delgadillo in scoring position. A single from senior Kika Ramirez brought Delgadillo around to even the score at three.
Fullerton kept their rally going on Long Beach miscues and controversial calls.
Sophomore Colby McClinton singled up the middle to bring in two more runs for the Titans. As the Beach tried to catch the second run at home, McClinton went for second base.
On a close call that would have ended Fullerton’s rally, McClinton was called safe to keep the Titans alive.
“Honestly, I thought these umpires were fantastic all weekend,” Sowder said. “We just came up short.”
Senior Jessi Alcala doubled to bring home McClinton and increase the Titans’ lead 6-3. Senior Mo Quinlan was brought in to pitch for the Beach, as junior Candace Yingling singled to bring Alcala home.
Fullerton tacked on one more run after a pair of errors in the Long Beach infield. At the end of the third inning, the Titans had taken an 8-3 lead.
“Our defense is so, so good and the big reason why we’re playing in this game right here,” Sowder said. “I mean, they’re not going to be perfect all the time. We would have liked to make every play tonight, but we didn’t.”
Fullerton scored two more runs in the fourth and fifth inning to take a 10-3 lead. The Beach scored one more run in the sixth inning after a hard chopper from Camou went over the third baseman’s head to score Medellin.
This was the last score of the evening, as the Titans took the series and Big West Champion title in a 10-4 win. Despite the outcome, Long Beach State finished second in the conference.
“We had a lot of adversity, we had a lot of injuries, we had the toughest preseason schedule we ever had and we got beat up a little bit,” Sowder said. “With this team, I think more than any other team in a long time, it just took everything we had and I’m so proud of them.”
