Dustin Miller pitched six strong innings and Justin Turner had a two-run
double to key a six-run second inning as fifth-ranked Cal State Fullerton
beat UCLA, 7-1, Sunday night at Goodwin Field to capture the 2003 Kia
Baseball Bash title.
Fullerton has won six in a row and improved to 14-1 to match the 1996
team for the best start through 15 games. UCLA, which soundly defeated
No. 6 Texas and No. 21 Tulane in its first two tournament games, fell
to 10-10.
Miller (3-1) won his second consecutive start, allowing just a run on
five hits to a UCLA team that scored a combined 25 runs against Texas
and Tulane. Miller fanned fiveand walked one in his six innings of work.
Jason Windsor, Ricky Romero and Chad Cordero combined to allow just two
Bruin baserunners over the final three innings.
The Titans got to UCLA starter Wes Whisler (1-4) for an unearned run in
the first before chasing the Bruins' lefty with six runs in the second.
Fullerton had six consecutive batters reach at one point and sent 11 men
to the plate in the inning. Turner's double -- the third in the inning
-- scored Richie Burgos and Joe Turgeon to give the Titans a 5-0 lead.
UCLA relievers Doug Silva and Chris Cordeiro put a stop to the bleeding,
holding the Titans scoreless on three hits over the final 6.1 innings.
Turner went 2-for-3 and Jason Corapci went 2-for-4 with several fine defensive
plays to key the Titans. Hector Ambriz and Matt Thayer each had two hits
for the Bruins.
Fullerton will host Pepperdine on Tuesday night and Keio University (Japan)
in a Wednesday exhibition before traveling to Minneapolis for a weekend
series against Minnesota in the Metrodome.
NOTE: Fullerton's Jason Corapci, who went 6-for-9 on
the weekend and scored the game-winning run in the Titans' 2-1 win over
Tulane Friday night, shared Kia Bash Most Outstanding Player honors with
UCLA's Wes Whisler, who batted .417 with a pair of homers over the Bruins'
three games....Fullerton's Ryan Schreppel, who pitched seven scoreless
innings and scattered two hits in the opener vs. Tulane, was named the
Most Oustanding Pitcher.
