SUPER REGIONALS: FULLERTON TO THE REGIONAL FINALS!

An energized No. 13 Fullerton College squad pushed past No. 17 Los Angeles Valley in two straight games on Saturday 10-7 and 10-4 landing the team in the SoCal Regional Finals. 

After falling in game one on Friday 9-3, the Hornets dug deep winning the next two in order to advance to the Southern California Regional Finals. The last time Fullerton went this deep into the playoffs was in 2016 under head coach Nick Fuscardo. In just his second full season (fourth overall) as the FC skipper, Chad Baum has the team one series away from the State Championship Tournament.

GAME 2
Playing game two as the visiting team on Hornet Field, Fullerton took a 1-0 in the opening inning. Britton Beeson came up to bat hammering a hard double to the right center field gap allowing Isaiah Marquez to cross home plate.

The Monarchs tied the game up in the top of the second on Max Aude's double to right field that scored Bobby Velasco.

The third inning was not kind to the Hornets as LA Valley racked up four runs grabbing a 5-1 advantage. Tyler Olivas singled through the left side plating Royce Clayton Jr. and Tino Valdez, Brandon Cuervo scored on a wild pitch, and Aude grounded out to second allowing Olivas to score.

Fullerton got back two runs in the fourth inning when Tank Espalin knocked a single to left field scoring Haku Dudoit, and Beeson hit a dart to right field plating Marquez.

The Hornets got within a run of the Monarchs in the seventh (5-4) on a Jared Benash SAC bunt giving Niko Santamaria the opportunity to cruise home from third.

FC's offense went wild in the eighth with five runs giving the team a healthy 9-5 lead. Espalin hit a single up the middle scoring Rudy Gonzales, and Diego Franco came up with the bases loaded smacking a base-clearing double that brought home Santamaria, Beeson, and Espalin. Jimmy Blumberg then popped a single to right field that brought in Franco.

Tank Espalin added another RBI in the top of the ninth with a nice single to left field scoring Haku Dudoit.

LA Valley did not pack it in as the team scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth. The Hornet defense stepped up shutting down the threat. With bases loaded, two outs, and a 3-2 count, the final out was recorded by right fielder Isaiah Marquez, who made a shoestring catch to end it. 

FC reliever Deven Beasley (3-3) got the win with 3 innings of work giving up 4 hits, 2 earned runs, had 2 walks, and a strikeout. Nathan McManus (4) earned the save wrapping up the final inning with 2 hits and no walks. Starter Masen McDonnell went 5 innings with 5 earned runs, 7 hits, had 2 walks and 5 K's.  

It was a long and hot game that lasted 3:56 minutes. 

GAME 3
In the third and final game of the series, the Monarchs snatched the first run of the game, but the Hornets clapped back with three runs in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, Jared Benash and Jimmy Blumberg both worked walks forcing Britton Beeson and Niko Santamaria home. Landon Runge flied out to left center for a SAC fly allowing Diego Franco to cross home plate.

LA Valley added a run to the scoreboard in the third thanks to a solo homer by Royce Clayton Jr.

FC made it 7-2 in the bottom of the third on Benash's rip down the right field line scoring Santamaria and Espalin. Haku Dudoit hit a SAC Fly to right and Jared Benash tagged up at third and slid headfirst across home plate.

The Monarchs put up another run in the fourth with the bases loaded. Luis Torres came across after Brandon Cuervo worked the count for a walk.

Fullerton went up 9-3 scoring two runs on a hit over the short stop's head scoring Tank Espalin. Landon Runge was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced yet again bringing in Britton Beeson.

A wild pitch in the seventh gave the Hornets their tenth run making way for Haku Dudoit to hustle home.

LAV got one more run in the eighth on Luis Torres' single to right field that scored Will White.

Michael Curatolo served as the game's workhorse earning the save with 6 strong innings. He allowed only 1 earned run on 3 hits, with a walk, and 4 K's. Joe Linehan (1-1) got the win tossing an inning with 1 earned run against. Jon Sarmiento started on the bump and threw 2 innings with 2 runs against on 5 hits. He had 2 walks and 2 K's.

Up Next: The No. 13 Hornets (26-20 overall) will play at No. 4 Santa Ana College (31-15) May 19-21 in the Southern California Regional Final. This best of three series determines who will go to the State Championship Tournament to be held at Folsom Lake College May 27-29, where the top two teams from the South meet the top two teams from the North.