College Baseball : Weatherby’s Homer Lifts USC Over Fullerton

Jeff Weatherby’s home run in the fourth inning lifted USC to a 9-2 non-conference baseball victory over Cal State Fullerton at USC.

The Trojans scored four times in the fourth. Dan Henley’s double was followed by Weatherby’s two-out home run to right field. After Al Villasenor singled, Frank Anguilano tripled, scoring Villasenor. Anguilano then scored on James Mitchell’s single. Fullerton scored its two runs in the eighth inning on a base hit and a double. Randy Johnson (1-0) was the winning pitcher and Mike Harkey (0-1) took the loss. USC is 4-1, Fullerton 3-4. Fullerton was led by Jose Mota who was two of four at the plate.

In other college baseball action:

UC Irvine 19, Chapman 11--Tom Baine’s hitting led UC Irvine to the victory over Chapman at Irvine.

The senior left fielder was five of six--including three doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Other big hitters for Irvine included Steve Morgan (three of six with three RBI and one home run) and Brady Anderson, (four of six, including a triple, an RBI and two runs scored.)

Chapman (2-1) got six runs on six hits in the first inning, the big hit being Craig Kuhse’s two-run home run. The Anteaters (3-1-1) came back with four runs in the inning. Chapman took a 9-4 lead in the second with three runs on one hit and two errors. Irvine answered with three runs in the bottom of the second.

The Panthers did not score again until the the sixth innning. Meantime, the Anteaters scored three runs in the third and three in the fourth--including a two-run home run by right fielder Paul Hammond. That scoring flurry gave Irvine a 14-9 lead.

Morgan got his home run in the fifth, driving in two runs. The Anteaters scored two more runs in the eighth, off two hits, making it 19-10.

Chapman came back to score one in the ninth.

Damon Carr (1-0) was the winning pitcher. Rob Glisson (0-1) took the loss for Chapman. The Panthers were led by first baseman Dan Grijalva, who was three for five, scored two runs and had two RBI and two doubles.

Southern California College 9, Whittier 4--Dave Turney led the Vanguards, going three for three with a double and a triple in the game at Whittier. Ron Nelson hit his third home run of the year in the ninth inning. Barry Henderson had three of SCC’s eight stolen bases. Titus Houston drove in three runs.

SCC jumped to a six-run lead after two innings and never relinquished it.

For the Poets, Steve Rodriguez hit a solo home run in the second inning.

SCC is 2-1-1 while Whittier is 0-1. Andres Andrews (1-0) was the winning pitcher. Rick Harshbarger (0-1) took the loss.