Pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki drilled a two-run double into the left field
corner with two outs in the top of the ninth to lift No. 5 Cal State Fullerton
to a 2-1 win over 21st-ranked Tulane in a Kia Baseball Bash game at Goodwin
Field Friday night.
The Titans, who were the designated visitors in the game, have won four
in a row and improved to 12-1 on the season. Tulane fell to 9-2 and is
0-6 all-time against Cal State Fullerton.
P.J. Pilittere led off the ninth with a single up the middle off Tulane
closer Joey Charron (0-2) and pinch-runner Bobby Andrews moved to second
on pinch-hitter Joe Turgeon's sacrifice bunt. After Justin Turner flied
out to center for the second out, Jason Corapci drew a walk to set up
Suzuki's heroics. Andrews easily scored the tying run when Suzuki drilled
Charron's 3-1 offering to left field and Corapci scored the go-ahead run
when his slide knocked the ball loose from Tulane catcher Brian Bormaster.
Titan All-American Chad Cordero, the nation's active leader in career
saves, appeared in his first save situation of the season in the bottom
of the ninth and retired the Green Wave in order.
A pair of freshmen -- Fullerton's Ryan Schreppel and Tulane's Matt Goebel
-- dueled late into the game. Schreppel allowed just two hits in seven
innings to run his scoreless innings streak to 14 while lowering his ERA
to 0.62. Goebel held the Titans scoreless on six hits in 7.1 innings and
left five Titans in scoring position.
Tulane finally broke through for the game's first run in the bottom of
the eighth inning off Titan reliever Jason Windsor. Leadoff hitter Aaron
Feldman doubled to right-center and scored on a two-out single through
the left side by Tony Giarratano. Ricky Romero (1-0) picked up the final
out and was credited with a two-pitch win when the Titans rallied in the
next frame.
Tulane will meet UCLA at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday before Fullerton faces
off against defending College World Series champion and sixth-ranked Texas
at 7 p.m. in Augie Garrido's first game against the Titans since he left
the program to take over the Longhorns following the 1996 season.
