Wes Littleton hurled his second career complete game and Shane Costa was
a home run shy of hitting for the cycle as No. 18 Cal State Fullerton
routed UC Irvine, 13-5, in a Big West Conference game at Anteater Ballpark
Friday night.
The Titans, who avoided their first four-game losing streak since 1997,
improved to 30-15 overall and 11-5 in conference, moving past the Anteaters
(28-19, 9-4) into second place in the Big West. The only two Division
I baseball programs in Orange County met for the first time since 1992.
Littleton (8-3) allowed just two earned runs while striking out seven
batters and walking just two. He retired Irvine in order six separate
innings and twice set down 11 consecutive batters. Littleton, whose ERA
actually rose to 1.57, has not allowed more than two earned runs in a
start since the season opener at Stanford.
In similar fashion to his start against Northridge a week earlier, Littleton
allowed the first two batters he faced to score before settling down.
Jon Horwitz doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and Matt Anderson
reached on a throwing error. A sac fly by Chris Klemm and RBI-single by
Steve Guthrie made it 2-0 Irvine.
But Littleton retired the next 11 batters before the Anteaters plated
another pair in the fifth. By then the damage had been done with the Titans
scoring 13 runs between the second and fifth innings.
Fullerton's seven-run outburst in the fifth – which saw eight consecutive
Titans reach base – was highlighted by Costa's three-run triple off
the wall in right-center field. Richie Burgos – one of four Titans
with three or more hits on the night – singled twice in the inning.
Irvine starter Sean Tracey (7-5) was charged with nine earned runs before
departing midway through the inning.
Chris Stringfellow had a season-high four hits and Chris Klosterman was
3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and runs. Costa, who flew out to center in
the ninth in his bid to hit for the cycle, tied a career-high with four
RBI.
Fullerton and Irvine will meet in the second game of the series on Saturday
at 6 p.m.
