TEMPE, Ariz. — The Cal State Fullerton softball team found more late-game magic in its NCAA regional opener, but Arizona State answered with some of its own and handed the Titans a 5-2 loss on Friday night at Farrington Stadium.

Fresh off a pair of dramatic wins against Long Beach State to win the Big West Conference title last week, the Titans took a 2-1 lead on Deshea Hill’s two-run single up the middle in the top of the sixth inning. The eighth-seeded Sun Devils regained the lead on a grand slam from Kristiana Watson with one out in the bottom of the sixth then closed out the win in the top of the seventh.

Fullerton (36-21) will face LSU (34-22) in an elimination game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The winner advances to a 7 p.m. elimination game Saturday night against the loser of a 2 p.m. game between Pac-12 champ ASU (40-9) or San Diego State (38-14). Mountain West champ SDSU beat LSU, 10-5, in the early game Friday.

Junior Megan Delgadillo went 2 for 4 for Fullerton. Junior Myka Sutherlin pitched five-plus innings and was charged with three runs (two earned). She struck out three while allowing three hits with four walks and two hit-by-pitches. Freshman Raci Miranda (11-7) was charged with two runs on two hits and one walk in her one inning of work.

Freshman Mac Morgan (17-3) had a career-high nine strikeouts for ASU.

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