Kurt Suzuki blasted a pair of homers and drove in a career-high six runs
as 22nd-ranked Cal State Fullerton completed a three-game sweep of No.
8 Long Beach State at Blair Field Sunday with a 13-11 win in the final
Big West Conference game of the season.
The Titans finish the regular season with a 36-20 record, thanks to a
21-4 finish. They captured the Big West title by five full games with
a 19-2 record, which marks the fewest losses ever in a conference schedule.
Long Beach, which has lost four consecutive games heading into its series
at Miami next weekend, fell to 36-16 and 14-7.
Fullerton swept Long Beach State at Blair Field for the first time since
1998 and coupled with the Titans' sweep at then-ranked UC Irvine last
weekend, Fullerton has posted consecutive sweeps of ranked opponents for
the first time since 1990.
The 49ers made things interesting, narrowing a 13-4 Titan lead by scoring
four times in the eighth and three times in the ninth. Long Beach State
had the winning run at the plate in the form of Mike Hofius, but Ryan
Schreppel got him to pop up to Justin Turner to end the game.
Suzuki was 4-for-5 with two homers (a two-run shot in the sixth and a
three-run shot in the seventh), a double, four runs and six RBI. The All-American
and Big West Player of the Year candidate finished the regular season
with a .438 average, 13 homers and 74 RBI. He has a shot to win the Big
West triple crown if he can hit three more homers in postseason play.
Mike Martinez, who allowed seven runs on eight hits in seven innings,
earned his fourth win in as many starts to improve to 7-2. Long Beach
starter Jason Vargas fell to 7-6.
The Titans took a 7-0 lead before Long Beach got on the board. The 49ers
picked up its first seven runs complimentary of just two swings -- Sean
Boatright hit a grand slam in the fourth and Jon Bowker connected for
a three-run homer in the eighth.
Clark Hardman had three hits for the Titans and Turner, P.J. Pilittere,
Danny Dorn and Ronnie Prettyman each had two.
Fullerton will now await word on its postseason fate. The NCAA will announce
the 16 regional host sites next Sunday (May 30) and will unveil the 64-team
tournament field on Monday, May 31.
