Shane Costa doubled and tripled to extend his hitting streak to 20 games
and every starter collected at least one hit as No. 15 Cal State Fullerton
beat UC Santa Barbara, 12-6, in a Big West Conference game at Caesar Uyesaka
Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Titans, who have won 14 of their past 17 games, improved to 26-12
overall and 9-2 in conference play while moving into a first place tie
with Long Beach State, which is playing at Miami this weekend. The Gauchos
fell to 16-23 and 3-8.
Titan starter Darric Merrell, who allowed six earned runs on 10 hits and
three walks in six-plus innings, was credited with the win to improve
to 6-2 on the season. Merrell was effective against the most dangerous
part of the Gaucho order (the No. 1 through 5 batters went 3-for-17),
but struggled against the bottom part of the order (No. 6 through 9 were
a combined 7-for-10 with four RBI). Jeff Housman did not allow a run on
just one hit over the final three innings to earn his first save.
The Titans put together their biggest first inning assault of the season
against Gaucho starter Sean Thompson (2-2). The Titans needed just 15
pitches to hit for the cycle as a team. Justin Smyres and Jason Corapci
each had singles, Costa tripled, Geoff Comfort doubled and Chris Stringfellow
hit a wind-aided homer over the left field fence. P.J. Pilittere – the
ninth batter to hit in the inning – was credited with an RBI double
(after Gaucho center fielder R.J. Smith stumbled) to give the Titans a
6-0 lead.
The Gauchos chipped away at the six-run deficit with a run in the second
and two in the fourth. Smith, the ninth batter in the order, had RBI-hits
in each of the innings – a double down the left field line in the
second and a bunt single that drove in Nate Sutton in the fourth. Matt
Wilkerson also had an RBI-single in the fourth.
But that was as close as Santa Barbara would get: the Titans answered
Santa Barbara's three runs with three of their own and led by five or
more runs the rest of the way.
Comfort (two doubles), David Fischer and Stringfellow each had two hits
for the Titans. Stringfellow was the only Titans with multiple-RBI with
both of his RBI coming on his first-inning two-run shot.
The Titans and Gauchos will wrap up the three-game set on Sunday at 1
p.m.
