COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Titans Zero In on Anteater Pitchers, Collect 23 Hits, 22 Runs

Cal State Fullerton’s baseball team can’t do anything to erase Thursday night’s loss to UC Irvine, but the Titans made the Anteaters pay for it again.

Fullerton had a season-high 23 hits while pounding Irvine, 22-12, in a Big West Conference game Saturday in Irvine.

Fullerton defeated Irvine, 12-0, Friday after Irvine had won Thursday’s conference opener, 8-7, in 13 innings on a home run by Bryant Winslow. But Winslow’s home run was the last thing Irvine (16-17, 1-2) had to celebrate in the series.

Saturday, the Titans scored in every inning. All nine starters had at least one hit, and eight of the nine scored at least one run.

Phil Nevin had five hits, including two doubles, and three RBIs for Fullerton (17-13, 2-1).

Teammate Steve Sisco had four hits, scored four runs and drove in two. He was 10 for 17 in the series and has had at least three hits in each of the past four games. He is hitting a team-best .377.

“I’ve changed my stance a little bit and I’m trying to be more aggressive,� Sisco said.

Fullerton’s Frank Charles had three hits and five RBIs, Jason Moler had three hits and four RBIs, Craig Fairbrother had three hits and two RBIs, and Frank Herman broke an 0-for-11 slump with two hits and three RBIs.

Herman had two sacrifice flies, and Nevin, Charles and Moler each had one.

The Titans scored two runs in the first, four in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth to take a 10-0 lead.

The Anteaters finally got untracked in their half of the fourth. Mike Goodcase rammed a grand slam over the left-center field fence off Titan starter Jack Bailey, to make it 10-4. Goodcase had three hits and six RBIs.

The Titans have given up four grand slams this season and hit none. Bailey (3-1) got the victory despite giving up nine runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Fullerton scored four times in the fifth, twice in the sixth, once in the seventh and eighth and four in the ninth. Jon Rust (1-3), the first of seven Irvine pitchers, took the loss.

“The key to the game was the way we responded to the grand slam,� Titan Coach Augie Garrido said. “A lot of teams get 10 runs then relax. If we had sat on that lead, we would have lost.�

In California Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball:

Cal Poly Pomona 5-3, Chapman 4-2--Scott Daniels went five for five with three runs scored in the first game and two for two with one run scored in the second game for Cal Poly Pomona (15-15, 7-3). Mike Giuseffi had three hits, one RBI and scored a run in the first game for Chapman (8-22, 4-9).

In the UC Irvine/Marriott men’s tennis tournament:

UC Irvine 5, CS Long Beach 1--UC Irvine (14-4, ranked No. 13) will face top-seeded and second-ranked USC in the final at 1 p.m. today after beating Cal State Long Beach. Irvine’s Mike Roberts won in No.1 singles, 7-5, 6-4, to improve to 18-5 for the season. Irvine has won nine of its past 10 matches. USC defeated Mississippi, 6-0, to advance.

In UC Irvine’s invitational women’s track and field meet:

Brigham Young wins--Brigham Young’s women scored 245, Irvine was second (238 1/2), Air Force was third (158 1/2) and Cal State Fullerton (28) was fourth. Maria Akraka set an Irvine record in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4 minutes 14.45 seconds. The previous mark was 4:16.73 by Jill Harrington in 1986. Traci Goodrich won the 5,000 meters (17:01.87), Shelly Tochluk won the 400 meters (56.25), Desiree Bracey won the 200 meters (24.52) and Kim Cox won the high jump at 5 feet 4 1/4 inches for Irvine’s women.

In UC Irvine’s invitational men’s track and field meet:

Brigham Young wins--The Cougar men won with 287 points, followed by Air Force (219), UC Irvine (205), Cal Poly Pomona (124) and Cal State Fullerton (56). Matt Farmer won the long jump (23-7 1/4), Dustin James won the 400 meters (48.35) and Ben Ayers won the 5,000 meters (14:45.67) for Irvine’s men.