John Hanley came up with his first career hit with two outs in the ninth
to tie the game and Nick Fitzgerald followed with a go-ahead RBI single
as No. 12 Cal State Fullerton rallied for a 7-6 win over Loyola Marymount
in nonconference action in Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon.
The Titans – who never led before the ninth – have won
a season-high four consecutive games and seven of their last eight to
improve to 7-3. Loyola Marymount fell to 4-5.
Fullerton trailed, 6-4, heading into the top of the ninth, but rallied
for three runs in the frame. Jason Corapci and Shane Costa drilled consecutive
one-out singles to send Justin Abreu from the game. LMU closer Randy Waite
uncorked a wild pitch to score Corapci and narrow the lead to one run.
After a walk to Kyle Boyer, Richie Burgos flied out for the second out.
But Hanley, the freshman from Riverside who was 0-for-7 in his young career,
drilled a 1-2 pitch into left-center field to score Costa and tie the
game, 6-6. The following batter, Fitzgerald, lined a single down the left
field line to score Boyer with the game-winner.
Chad Cordero (1-0), who struck out six in the final 2.2 innings, picked
up his first win. The Titan quarter of Cordero, Mike Martinez (who made
his first career start), Jeff Housman and Travis Ingle combined to strike
out 14 Lions. Waite (1-1) suffered the loss.
The Titans had been the early aggressor throughout
the UNLV series, but it was LMU which jumped out for a 3-0 lead in the
first on a three-run shot over the George Page Stadium "Blue Monster"
in left field by Tommy Perez.
Fullerton countered with a pair of runs in the top of the third. After
the Titans loaded the bases with two outs, Boyer lifted a fly ball to
left field, but LMU left fielder Jonathan Higashi misplayed it for a two-base
error.
Housman was summoned to replace Martinez after the Lions loaded the bases
with three consecutive singles to open the bottom of the third inning.
Housman allowed a sacrifice fly to Perez, but struck out Brady Koch for
the second out. Jonathan Oller singled through the left side, but Titan
shortstop Justin Smyres was able to deflect the ball and recovered to
throw out Higashi trying to score from second.
The Titans knotted the game at 4-4 in the fifth. Corapci drew a leadoff
walk and moved to third on Costa's double down the right field line. That
set up consecutive sacrifice flies to center by Boyer and Burgos.
But the Lions answered quickly, using solo homers to left in the fifth
by Kris Zacuto and in the sixth by Sean Smith to reclaim a 6-4 edge.
The Titans managed a single in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings,
but never managed to move the runner into scoring position.
Fitzgerald went 3-for-5 to pace the Titan offense while Costa went 2-for-4
and Corapci scored three runs. Perez was 1-for-2 with four RBI for the
Lions.
Fullerton will visit Mesa, Ariz. for a three-game series vs. Arizona State
this weekend.
