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Rifkin's
Ninth-Inning Homer Lifts Titans to 4-3 Win Apr. 21, 2001 –Northridge, Calif. Aaron Rifkin hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to lead 10th-ranked Cal State Fullerton to a 4-3 win over Cal State Northridge in a Big West Conference baseball game at Matador Field Saturday afternoon. The Titans, who were coming off a 15-1 loss to Northridge on Friday, improved to 29-11 overall and 7-1 in conference play. The Matadors fell to 25-17 and 3-5. Rifkin led off the bottom of the ninth with his first hit of the series, a blast over the right-center field wall off Northridge reliever Merrill Dunn. The home run was the 10th of the season for Rifkin, as he became the first Titan since the 1999 season to reach double figures in home runs. The Matadors' Jeremy Hanson led off the bottom of the ninth with a single off Chad Cordero. But Cordero struck out three consecutive batters, including the final hitter, pinch-hitter Aaron McKenzie, with the tying run on second base. Northridge starter Kameron Loe did not allow a hit through the first 4.2 innings, but Chris Stringfellow doubled with two outs in the fifth and Matt Belfanti singled on the next pitch to give the Titans a1-0 lead. But in the bottom of the inning, Tim Coltley and Jason Gorman started things off with back-to-back singles off Darric Merrell and J.T. Stotts connected for a three-run home run as Northridge jumped out to the 3-1 lead. Loe allowed just three hits, but after walking Jason Corapci to open the seventh, he was lifted for Dunn. Dunn walked Rifkin and Brett Kay laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. Mike Rouse then delievered his first hit of the series, a bloop two-run single down the left field line to draw the Titans even. Merrell allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings. Cordero (2-2) struck out four and allowed just one hit over the final two innings and made his eighth consecutive appearance without allowing a run. The Titans will meet Northridge in the rubber game of the three-game series at Matador Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. Box score
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