CBB News Sources
Fri. CSF 12 – CS Northridge 0
Sat. CSF 2 – CS Northridge 4
Sun. CSF 17 – CS Northridge 15
Fullerton, Calif. – Three home runs and nine RBI by Cal State Northridge catcher Chirs Hannick was not enough to overcome No. 16 Cal State Fullerton Sunday afternoon as the Titans defeated the Matadors 17-15 to take the Big West Conference series at Goodwin Field.
Fullerton improves to 20-12 overall and 6-3 in Big West play while Northridge falls to 14-16, 4-5.
The teams combined for 32 runs on 38 hits Sunday with Northridge out-hitting Fullerton 22-16, but a seven-run third inning by Fullerton helped them jump out 14-2 lead after four, to help Cory Arbiso (6-2) earn his sixth win of the year.
Adam Jorgenson recorded the final out of the game, with the go-ahead run at the plate and Hannick on deck, to notch his third save of the year.
The Titans posted a 5-run second inning, knocking out starter Drew Muren after just an inning and a third. Muren took the loss and fell to 1-3 on the year.
With the Titans leading 5-2 in the third, Fullerton sent 11 men to the plate, with the first seven not charged with an official at bat, and six of them reaching base. Four walks, two hit batters and a sac-bunt set up the big blow, a Jared Clark grand slam home run to right off Eric Billings the fourth of eight Matador arms on the afternoon. It was Clark’s fourth round-tripper of the year.
Northridge clawed their way back scoring in every inning from the fifth to the ninth, including a five-run frame of their own in the fifth. First baseman Richard Cates and Hannick accounted for 13 RBI on the day, while Ryan Pineda added an RBI in the ninth with a double.
Coming into the day, Hannick was hitting .200 with two home runs and 13 RBI.
The four hour-11 minute time of game and 12 pitching changes overshadowed big days at the plate for a number of Titans. Both Christian Colon and Erik Komatsu went 4-for-5 while Corey Jones and Joel Weeks each added two hits apiece.
Clark drove in four with the slam, but that was his only hit of the day. Komatsu also drove in four while Jones and Colon each had three RBI.
Northridge’s John Parham was 5-for-6 and scored four runs and lead all players in hits and Hannick, Pineda and Cates each tallied four hits on the afternoon in the losing effort.
Arbiso gave up eight earned runs over five innings logging three strikeouts without a walk in the win. He lasted five innings and surrendered 11 hits before passing the torch to Travis Kelly in the sixth.
Northridge’s Edwin Quirarte and Fullerton’s Jason Dovel each logged a one-hit scoreless inning in relief. Quirarte and Dovel, along with Jorgenson, who faced just one batter, were the only three pitchers to go unscathed. Fourteen pitchers found their way to the mound on Sunday.
The Titans will take Monday off before hosting USC on Tuesday night at Goodwin Field. Game time is 6 p.m. No pitchers have been announced.
