When Cal State Fullerton and UCLA, the two premier Southern California programs in recent history, it’s always a good matchup, but there was a little extra motivation for Fullerton on Tuesday night as the Titans played the team that eliminated them from postseason play last year. Find out if the emotion and motivation proved to be enough.
USC took a ninth inning lead against Pepperdine but the Waves threatened to rally back in the bottom of the inning. Trailing San Diego State 4-2, UC Riverside also rallied in the ninth inning. See if either could complete the comeback.
That plus more in a roundup of Tuesday’s Southern California college baseball action with photo galleries from three of the matchups:
#15 Cal State Fullerton 4, #22 UCLA 3
San Diego State 4, UC Riverside 3
San Diego State closer Michael Cederoth came on in the ninth inning with a 4-2 lead. He made things interesting walking a pair of batters and allowing a Thomas Walker RBI single to trim to the lead to 4-3 before baring down with back-to-back strikeouts to slam the door shut. Cederoth earned his 12th save — second in the nation.
Mike Robards picked up the win for the Aztecs (25-8), pitching 3.1 scoreless innings — a good sign after he has struggled in six of his last eight starts, not making it past the fifth inning since March 1.
Seby Zavala was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI. Tim Zier was 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base. For UC Riverside (14-14), Drake Zarate had three hits and a run while Joe Chavez had a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Loyola Marymount 8, Long Beach State 2
Ryan Millison fired four scoreless innings for Long Beach State (15-16) and the Dirtbags took a 1-0 lead when Garrett Hampson doubled and scored on a groundout. But the Lions (19-14) pounced on reliever Cody Marshall for five runs in the next two innings and added three more against Cameron Pongs in the eighth inning.
LMU got a solid start from Brenton Arriaga (5 IP, 3 H, ER) and three innings of relief from Carlos Fuentes. David Fletcher pushed the offense, finishing 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while veterans Tanner Donnels (3 RBI) and David Edwards (2-4, 2 RBI, SB) drove in the runs. Tommy Cheek also added his nation-leading ninth sacrifice fly.
For the Dirtbags, who fell back below .500, it was a disappointing performance after back-to-back wins over UCLA to end the weekend. Michael Hill did reach three times and had a stolen base.
Pepperdine 4, USC 3
Jeremy Martinez broke a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly to score Omar Cotto in the top of the ninth inning, but USC closer Kyle Davis couldn’t lock down a potential big win for the Trojans (15-16).
Pepperdine was aggressive early in the count against Davis and it paid off as the Waves knocked four singles to score a pair of runs for a walk-off win. Manny Jefferson lined the first pitch he saw to centerfield to score the tying run. After a Hutton Moyer flare to right field loaded the bases, Austin Davidson provided the game winner with a single up the middle.
Jefferson reached in all four plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. USC’s Timmy Robinson also was perfect at the plate. He was 4-for-4 with two doubles, a run, an RBI and a stolen base.
Check out CBD photographer Mark Alexander’s top shots from the afternoon action:
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#6 Cal Poly 6, St. Mary’s 2
The Mustangs finished an 18-game home stand with a 16-2 record after defeating St. Mary’s 6-2 on Tuesday. Freshman RHP Justin Calomeni (6-1) bounced back from a rough outing Saturday, allowing four hits and one run in five innings to pick up his sixth win of the year.
After Calomeni struggled on Saturday, Larry Lee hinted that Slater Lee, who started the season in the weekend rotation before a demotion to midweek games, would be flipping with Calomeni and moving back to the Saturday starter role. That appears to be the case after Lee pitched only one inning, a scoreless inning, in relief.
Peter Van Gansen reached base four times and had three RBI, but was just 1-for-1, walking three times, including twice drawing bases-loaded walks. Nick Torres was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI double.
Fresno State 8, Cal State Northridge 2
Calvin Copping couldn’t get out of the first inning as an error on a sacrifice bunt and three free bases led to a six-run opening frame for Fresno State (18-15) that Northridge could never overcome. Austin Guibor had a pinch hit three-run double in the inning.
The Matadors (13-19) got solid relief pitching the final 6.1 innings, but the offense couldn’t muster much of an attack. Nic Osuna had two hits and scored a run. Fresno State’s Trent Woodward reached three times, scoring once and driving in a run.
San Diego 6, UC Irvine 3
Louie Lechich hit two doubles and a triple, scoring twice to lead San Diego to a 6-3 road win at Irvine. The Toreros had 10 hits but were greatly assisted by three Irvine errors that led to five unearned runs.
Ryan Cooper knocked in two with a triple in a three-run eighth inning to cut San Diego’s lead in half, but the ‘Eaters couldn’t get anything going against Josh Goossen-Brown in the ninth inning.
Check out CBD photographer David Cohen’s top photos from the game :
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