Jason Windsor allowed just one run in seven innings and Chad Cordero threw
a pair of no-hit innings as third-ranked Cal State Fullerton beat No.
5 Arizona State, 5-1, Friday afternoon in the first game of a best-of-three
NCAA Super Regional at Goodwin Field.
The Titans, who have won seven consecutive postseason games at Goodwin
Field, improved to 47-13 overall. Arizona State, which lost for the first
time in seven games, dropped to 53-13.
Fullerton held Arizona State, which leads the nation in scoring and hitting,
to season-low tying totals in runs and hits. The Sun Devils did extend
their NCAA-record consecutive games scoring streak to 499 games (dating
back to 1995), but it was just the 15th time during that streak that ASU
scored just one run.
Windsor (10-2) scattered just five hits in his seven innings, which matched
a season high. He struck out five, walked just one and lowered his Big
West-best ERA to 1.82. Cordero, the Titans' third-team All-American closer,
retired all six batters he faced.
The Titans jumped on Sun Devil freshman Erik Averill (from nearby Orange,
Calif.) for four runs in the second inning. ASU's pitching staff had allowed
just three totel runs in its three regional wins in Temple last weekend.
P.J. Pilittere opened the inning with a double just inside the third base
bag and down the left field line. Danny Dorn was hit by a pitch for the
19th time this season and one out later, Ronnie Prettyman drilled a two-run
triple to the left-center field gap.
ASU brought the infield in, but Jason Corapci slashed a line drive up
the middle to score Prettyman for third third run of the frame. A two-out
single by Shane Costa completed the second-inning scoring.
The Sun Devils got a one-out RBI single from Tuffy Gosewisch in the fifth
for their lone run. But Fullerton answered back in the seventh when Kurt
Suzuki's sac fly in foul territory down the first base line plated Corapci.
Fullerton will try to clinch its 12th trip to the College World Series
on Saturday (2:05 p.m. PDT) when freshman All-American Ryan Schreppel
takes on senior righthander Ben Thurmond.
POST-GAME QUOTES Pat Murphy (Arizona State Head Coach)…
“We played against a good Cal State Fullerton team tonight and that
was the best pitching that we have seen all season. We knew coming in
that this was a non-offensive ballpark and we would have to use timely
hitting in order to score some runs. I think that Erik (Averill) pitched
a great game and we played a great game, but Fullerton was able to use
some timely hitting in order to score their runs.”
Erik Averill…
“We knew that coming here was not for a vacation, but rather we
were here on business and for a reason. I think that I did a great job
on the mound, but the three balks did not help and they were definitely
unexpected. I was mentally prepared for this game and did not seem nervous
going out on the mound tonight.”
Andre Ethier…
“(Jason) Windsor had exception control today and he used his fastball
at unexpected times. Many times our hitters might be looking off speed
at a certain time and he would throw a fastball, which would throw us
off. Overall, we did not make the proper adjustments and that brought
us out of our game and their style got to us.”
George Horton (Cal State Fullerton Head Coach)…
“We have one down, but a lot of work to do tomorrow. We got excellent
pitching from both Jason (Windsor) and Chad (Cordero) and hopefully that
will continue tomorrow for this ball team. We are excited about our position,
but know that there is still a lot of work to do tomorrow in order to
close this series out in two.”
Jason Windsor…
“When we play the way that we did today on defense, it is very hard
to score against our team. I think that this might have been one of my
better outings, pitch-wise, but not having control of all of my pitches
does not allow me to rank this as my top performance of the year. We are
going to have to come out tomorrow and really repeat what we did today
in order to close this series out early.”
Jason Corapci (on playing at home)… “We seem to play really well at home and the fans get behind
us and that allows us to rally behind them and produce the way that we
have. We have had some great come-from-behind victories this season and
we had the mentally of never giving up no matter what the odds were against
us.”
Ronnie Prettyman (on his two-run triple in the 2nd
inning)…
“(Erik) Averill dug himself into a hole against me and after seeing
two straight curveballs on the outside corner, I was expecting a fastball
and got it. I was able to get good bat on the ball and hit it into the
gap in the outfield to plate our first two runs.”
P.J. Pilittere…
“I think that we competed all night and at one point we got into
a grove and that threw off ASU. I think that each and every batter that
stepped up to the plate for us saw what the person in front of them was
doing and that gave them the confidence that they needed to go out and
produce enough for us to win.”
