Titans Strand 14 Runners in 6-4 Loss to Matadors Apr. 11, 2003 – Northridge, Calif.
Box Score
Brett Cayton doubled in a pair of runs with two outs in the sixth to lift
Cal State Northridge to a 6-4 win over second-ranked Cal State Fullerton
in a Big West Conference game at Matador Field Friday afternoon.
The Titans, who stranded a season-high 14 runners -- including nine in
scoring position -- had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell
to 28-8 overall and 3-1 in Big West play. The Matadors improved to 8-30
overall and 2-2 in conference action.
Wes Littleton (4-1), making his first since a three-week suspension was
lifted, allowed five runs on six hits in 5.2 innings to suffer his first
loss of the season. The Matador bullpen pitched 3.2 scoreless innings
and allowed just three Titan hits. Scott Robertson picked up the win to
improve to 3-3 and Leo Rosales picked up his first save. Matador pitching
combined to issue eight walks, but just one was cahsed in by the Titans.
David Fischer, who came into the game with a .194 average, banged a single
through the right side in the second to plate P.J. Pilittere and get the
Titans on the board for a 1-0 lead.
Littleton allowed back-to-back singles on his first two pitches, but retired
the next 10 batters he faced before running into problems in the fourth.
With one out, he hit John Voita and then gave up a two-run homer with
two outs to Aaron McKenzie. Northridge took a 3-1 lead in the fifth when
Jesse Perez drove a triple to right-center field and scored on a safety-squeeze
bunt single by Drew Aguailar.
But the Titans finally broke through with runners in scoring position
in the sixth. David Fischer doubled down the right field line to drive
in one run and Ronnie Prettyman singled up the middle to drive in a pair
and give the Titans a 4-3 lead.
The Matadors matched the Titans with three runs in the bottom of the sixth
to again stretch their lead to two runs. The scoring started with two
outs, when Littleton gave up his second homer of the game, a solo shot
to left-center field off the bat of Wade Friesen. Littleton hit the next
-- and what turned out to be the last -- batter he faced, McKenzie. Ricky
Romero, who earned co-Big West Pitcher of the Week honors last week, came
on, but hit the first batter he faced and then gave up a two-run doubled
off the left field wall to Cayton.
Fullerton had the tying runs on base with one out in the ninth, but Fischer
fouled out to right and Prettyman struck out looking to end the game.
The Titans' bright spot was the pitching of Sean Martin, who allowed just
two hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Fullerton and Northridge will play the second game of the three-game series
on Saturday at 1 p.m.
