Sophomore righthander Darric Merrell won for the first time since March
16 as 13th-ranked Cal State Fullerton beat Sacramento State, 9-3, in a
Big West Conference game at Goodwin Field Saturday night.
The Titans, who have won eight of their last nine games, improved to 20-10
overall and 4-1 in conference play, while the Hornets dropped to 13-15
and 0-5.
Merrell (5-2), a preseason third-team All-American, allowed just two earned
runs on six hits in eight innings. He struck out six and did not walk
a batter for the first time in his 10 starts this season. Sean Martin
pitched the final inning for the Titans.
The Titans scored four runs in the first inning off Hornet starter Marshall
Plouffe (3-4). Shane Costa doubled with one out to extend his hitting
streak to 12 games, tying his career high. After Jason Corapci was hit
by a pitch, Richie Burgos singled to left field to plate Costa and Corapci
followed when left fielder Ryan Brown overran the ball. David Fischer
and Chris Klosterman had RBI-singles later in the frame to make it 4-0.
The Hornets cut the lead in half in the fourth, when Chris Kinsey and
Joe Evans had back-to-back singles with one out. After Merrell got Mario
Celillo to foul out to catcher P.J. Pilittere, Danny Gill drove in the
Hornets' first run with a single to left. Klosterman's fielding error
allowed another run to score.
Fullerton put the game out of reach in the fifth when Jason Corapci –
who had one hit in his last 21 at bats – laced a two-run triple to
left field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Stringfellow to give
the Titans a 7-2 edge. Klosterman's first homer as a Titan made it 8-2
in the sixth, though the Hornets' Everet Rincon answered in the seventh
with a blast just inside the left field foul pole. The Titans capped the
scoring in the eighth with a two-run double by Kyle Boyer.
Fullerton, which has won its last six meetings with Sacramento State,
will go for the sweep of the Hornets on Sunday at 1 p.m.
