Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer took down Cal State Bakersfield, 5-2, on Saturday night at CSU Bakersfield Main Soccer Field.
Senior Mario Carlos led the Titans to a decisive win over the top team in the Big West, scoring a hat-trick, with two of his goals coming in the first half. The last Titan to achieve a hat-trick was Erick Serrano on Sept. 1, 2024 against Utah Tech.
Carlos now has seven goals on the season, leading the Big West leaderboards.
The Titans now have sole possession of first place in the Big West, boasting a 4-1-1 conference record and a 7-4-5 overall record on the season.
CSUF shone offensively on the night, outshooting Cal State Bakersfield 17-10 in the victory.
The Roadrunners found the net first, scoring the game’s opening goal in the 22nd minute. Six minutes later, Carlos scored an equalizer to tie the game at one apiece in the 28th minute.
One minute later, CSUF capitalized on a misplay by the Roadrunner goalkeeper, leading to an easy go-ahead goal for Ulises Grado in the 29th minute.
Before the first half closed, Carlos notched his second goal in the 37th minute after Jose de la Torre put the ball in the box off a corner kick to make the game 3-1. The Titans’ last three-goal half was against Seattle University on Sept. 18 earlier this season.
Carlos scored his third goal, the Titans’ fourth, in the 47th minute after an assist from Lugo, his second of the game.
The rapid-paced scoring for CSUF would come to a close as De la Torre capped off the offensive brilliance in the 51st minute with an impressive free kick from outside the 18-yard box.
The Roadrunners cut the Titans’ lead to 5-2 in the 63rd minute; however, the three-goal deficit proved insurmountable as CSUF’s defense denied any further scoring on the night.
The Titans continue their two-game road trip as they travel north to take on Cal State Northridge on Wednesday night.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.