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Cal State Fullerton softball falls to South Carolina in NCAA regional opener

May 16, 2026

LOS ANGELES — South Carolina outfielder Quincy Lilio couldn’t have hit her first home run of the season at a more opportune time.

Her three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning scored Natalie Heath and Shae Anderson, and gave South Carolina the runs it needed to beat Cal State Fullerton, 7-4, on Friday night in the first game of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional.

On top of that, the Temecula Great Oak High product had nine family members in attendance at Easton Stadium for her Southern California homecoming. She said more family will be coming for Saturday’s game.

“I’ve always dreamed of this moment,” Lilio said. “Having my family in the stands, and winning the game but also getting quality hits. It was just awesome to see my mom in the stands and my brother.”

The Gamecocks (31-26) will play the winner of Friday night’s game between No. 8 national seed UCLA and California Baptist on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Titans (40-14) will play the loser of the UCLA-CBU game in an elimination game at 4:30 p.m.

The Titans’ Kate Verhoef went 1 for 3 with two RBIs and Lulu Sanchez was 2 for 3 with an RBI. Pitcher Trisha McClesky threw 5⅔ innings and gave up seven runs on 10 hits while striking out three.

“Not the start we wanted, not the one we hoped for,” Fullerton head coach Gina Oaks Garcia said. “But at the end of the day, it was really a competitive game. That’s why it’s a double-elimination tournament. Got the best of the best here and we still have a lot of softball left to play.”

The score on Friday evening was knotted at 2-all after two full innings.

Fullerton’s Lopez found a hole through first and second base for a single in the top of the inning, and Sanchez singled before advancing to second on the throw. Verhoef stepped up and doubled to left center and score both Lopez and Sanchez for a 2-0 lead.

“I’ve had some ups and downs when I get a little too tense, so I try to relax and not think too much about it,” Verhoef said.

South Carolina, which finished 12th in the 15-team SEC, started crafting an answer as soon as the bottom of the inning got underway with a leadoff single from Arianna Rodi. Lexie Shafer came in as a pinch runner.

Lexi Winters reached first on an error at third base. Titans third baseman Sarah Coccillos recovered and threw to Ava Arce at first. Dropping into a split in the process, Arce sent the ball back to Coccillos to tag out Shaver and hold off the Gamecocks.

The Titans, who were this season’s Big West champions, were helpless, however, when Tate Davis delivered a two-run homer over the center field fence to tie the score.

Karley Shelton got South Carolina its first lead of the day when she drove in Tori Ensley – who doubled off the wall to get on base – with a double of her own in the bottom of the third inning.

Gamecocks shortstop Shae Anderson appeared to lose the ball in the sun at the top of the fourth inning, committing an error that allowed Alexia Lopez to reach second base. Maggie Paulovich was walked, prompting a pitching change.

Jori Heard was brought in for Emma Friedel (three hits, three runs, four strikeouts in 3⅓ innings) and Sanchez right away recorded her second hit of the day, scoring Lopez with a single.

Fullerton reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from Ava Arce. Perez, who hit a leadoff single, scored to make it 4-3. South Carolina loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but McClesky threw a timely strikeout to leave all three runners stranded.

“Just the grittiness, the way she kept her team in a position to win, kept the team off balance,” Oaks Garcia said. “They’re a great hitting squad. Was really proud of her performance, and I think she’s going to be ready and be ready for tomorrow as well.”

Winters scored an unearned run on a center field error in the bottom of the sixth inning, then Heath and Anderson singled to set up Lilio for the go-ahead homer.

NCAA LOS ANGELES REGIONAL

Who: Cal State Fullerton vs. UCLA or CBU

When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Easton Stadium

TV: TBD

Orange County Register

News Details

Cal State Fullerton softball falls to South Carolina in NCAA regional opener

NCAA LOS ANGELES REGIONAL

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