Titans Topped by Texas, 6-2, in Series Opener Mar. 5, 2004 – Austin, Texas
A five-run third inning propelled No. 2 Texas (17-2) to a 6-2 victory
over No. 17 Cal St. Fullerton (8-9) in front of 4,446 fans at Disch-Falk
Field on Friday in the Titans' first trip to Austin since former Coach
Augie Garrido left Fullerton to take over the Longhorn's program.
With the victory, Texas has now not only won six games in a row and 11
straight contests at home dating back to 2003, but is also off to its
best start since 1993, when the Horns also boasted a 17-2 mark through
19 games. Fullerton, meanwhile, fell to 8-9 overall, 3-8 on the road and
2-6 against ranked teams. The Titans also had their seven-game winning
streak against Texas snapped.
Cal St. Fullerton grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third when Mark Carroll, who
was hit by a pitch and made his way to third on a groundout and a stolen
base, came home on a sacrifice fly by Ronnie Prettyman.
But Texas answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning, with Curtis
Thigpen's three-run double off Jason Windsor proving to be the big blow.
The runs also snapped Windsor's streak of 15.2 innings without allowing
an earned run.
Carroll would bring home another CSF run in the fourth on a fielder's
choice to make it a 5-2 ballgame after the Titans loaded the bases with
one out on three singles. Then, after UT starter Sam LeCure and reliever
Kyle Yates worked out of a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the top of
the sixth, Texas plated an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to
push in front 6-2 as Teagarden, who walked, came around to score when
Seth Johnston's one-out single kicked away from the left fielder.
From there, Yates and J.P. Howell, combined to keep the Titans off the
board, even after Fullerton threatened again in the top of the eighth
as they put runners on first and second with two away, to close out the
four-run victory.
Notching the win was LeCure, who improved to 4-0 after tossing 5.2 innings,
while Windsor incurred the loss despite pitching eight full innings and
throwing 99 pitches. Meanwhile, Howell earned his first career save as
he closed out the final 1.1 innings and struck out four of the five batters
he faced.
Cal State Fullerton will square off with SHSU at 5 p.m. On an additional
note, the Longhorns will finish their two-game set with Fullerton on Sunday,
March 7 at 1 p.m.
