Titans Taken to the Limit by Stanford June 18, 2003 – Omaha, Neb.
Box Score
John Hudgins hurled a complete-game five hitter to propel third-ranked
Stanford to a 5-3 win over No. 2 Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday and
hand the Titans their first loss at the College World Series.
Fullerton (50-15) and Stanford (49-16) will play for the sixth time this
season on Thursday with the winner advancing to the best-of-three championship
series this weekend. Thursday's game will start at either 1 p.m. CDT (if
Texas beats Rice on Wednesday) or at 6 p.m. CDT (if Rice beats Texas).
The Titans got to Hudgins early, taking a 3-2 lead in the top of the third
on Shane Costa's two-run double down the left field line, but Hudgins
allowed just one hit after the third inning -- a leadoff single by P.J.
Pilittere in the ninth.
The Cardinal jumped on Titan starter Wes Littleton for a pair of runs
in the first when Carlos Quentin launched a two-run homer to left field.
But Pilittere connected for a solo shot -- his third homer and first in
more than two months -- in the second to cut the lead in half. A fielding
error by Stanford shortstop Tobin Swope in the third and a bloop single
by Justin Turner set up Costa's go-ahead double. The next batter, Kyle
Boyer, hit a mammoth shot high over the left field fence that was drifted
just foul.
Stanford took the lead for good in the fifth. With runners on the corners,
Brian Hall broke out of a 1-for-21 slump with an RBI-single through the
right side and Chris Carter scored on a wild pitch by Littleton. The Cardinal's
final run came home on Quentin's second homer of the game -- a solo shot
off Travis Ingle.
Fullerton will send ace Jason Windsor (11-2, 1.81) to the mound on Thursday
against Stanford, which has yet to announce its probable starter.
