Cyle Hankerd’s bases clearing double in the bottom of the eighth
inning broke up 1-1 tie as the No. 25 USC Trojans defeated the No. 2 Cal
State Fullerton Titans 4-2 in a midweek, non-conference match-up at Dedeaux
Field in Los Angeles.
It seemed that the game could go on forever with great pitching performances,
and a big homer from each team, but after a base hit and two walks issued
by Titan reliever Vinnie Pestano, Hankerd’s chopper down the first
base line brought the crowd to its feet and dropped Pestano to 2-2 on
the year.
Michael Friedman, the benefactor of the three-run eighth, improved to
2-1 after pitching a perfect top of the eighth inning, striking out one.
Paul Koss picked up his seventh save despite allowing the Titans to score
in their final at bat, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in Felipe
Garcia with runners at first and third base.
Garcia grounded out to third to end the game, dropping the Titans to 23-9
overall and improving USC’s season record to 22-9.
The Titan staff of Jared Clark, Adam Jorgenson and Lauren Gagnier no-hit
the Trojans for 4.2 innings before Darin Vieira blasted his second home
run off the year off Gagnier to give USC their first hit and a 1-0 lead.
Clark, the Titan starter of the pre-determined “staff day,”
was very effective retiring the first six batters of the game before giving
way to Jorgenson in the third. Jorgenson came on to set down the first
three batters he faced. In the top of the fourth, the Trojans mounted
their biggest threat to that point, as Jorgenson walked back-to-back hitters
with one out. But after catcher John Curtis threw out Jeff Clement on
a busted double steal, Jorgensen struck out Hankerd to end the inning.
Gagnier came in as the third Titan pitcher and promptly got the first
two Trojans to face him before the blow by Vieira.
With one swing of the bat, Titan first baseman Brett Pill paid the Trojans
back with a long ball of his own, taking a Jack Spradlin offering over
the left center field wall to tie the game at1-1. Despite that one pitch,
Spradlin pitched well enough to win by going seven innings, scattering
four Titan hits, while striking out eight men.
John Estes pitched the seventh inning allowing a lone USC hit setting
up Pestano’s entrance in the eighth.
Fullerton out-hit the Trojans 7-4 with Pill leading the Titans with two.
Hankered matched Pill’s two to lead the Trojans.
Fullerton heads home to host a weekend Big West Conference Series with
Pacific. Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m., Saturday’s at 6
p.m. and Sunday’s at 1 p.m. Fullerton will send Ricky Romero, Wes
Roemer and Scott Sarver to the mound respectively.
