Brian Emmons doubled in a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth off
All-American Chad Cordero to break an 8-8 tie and send UC Riverside to
a 10-8 win over No. 17 Cal State Fullerton in a Big West Conference game
at Goodwin Field Sunday afternoon.
The Titans had their four-game winning streak snapped, fell to 34-17 overall
and 14-7 in conference and dropped two games back of Cal State Northridge
with just three conference games remaining. The Matadors scored a come-from-behind
win over Long Beach State Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep. Fullerton
would have to win all three games at Long Beach State (May 24-26) and
have UC Irvine sweep Northridge next weekend (but lose at least one to
Riverside the following weekend) to clinch the conference's automatic
berth to the NCAA Regionals. In other words, the Titans need some help
to clinch their sixth consecutive conference crown.
Cordero (4-3), who struck out five of the six batters he faced Saturday
night, didn't have such luck Sunday. He came on with no outs in the eighth
and a two-run cushion, but surrendered a pair of runs in the eighth and
two more in the ninth. Emmons, who had an eighth-inning pinch-hit double
that left fielder Geoff Comfort apparently lost in the bright sky, scored
the tying run in the eighth, then drilled a two-run double to the right-center
field alley with one out in the ninth.
Fullerton had taken an 8-6 lead in the sixth on a two-run single by Comfort
and a one-run single by David Fischer, but Riverside's Julio Fernandez
(4-5) allowed just two baserunners over the last three innings and neither
could move into scoring position.
Fischer, who twice tied the game with home runs – hitting a
three-run blast off Riverside starter Matt Thiessen in the first and a
solo blast off Fernandez in the third – finished 3-for-4 with a career-high
five RBI. Adam Seuss and Randy Blood each had three hits for the Highlanders,
who tallied 15 overall, the most off the Titans in more than two months.
Sophomore Travis Ingle, making his first career weekend start, lasted
just three innings, allowing five runs on six hits. Darric Merrell (four
innings, two runs) made his first relief appearance in 32 outings and
was in line to win before Cordero blew the save for the third time this
season.
Fullerton will head to USC on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in its only action of
the week.
