College Baseball : Titans Take Texas to 17, Lose, 4-3

Billy Bates singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 17th inning Tuesday as Texas beat Cal State Fullerton, 4-3, in a nonconference baseball game at Austin, Tex.

It was the second straight game that Bates, the Longhorns’ All-American second baseman, beat the Titans with his bat. In Monday’s game, Bates’ two-run double in the seventh inning keyed the Longhorns’ 5-1 series-opening victory.

The Titans scored their three runs in the eighth inning. Following three walks, John Fishel hit a sacrifice fly, and later that inning, Jose Mota’s pinch-hit, two-run single tied the score.

Both teams had their chances in extra innings as Texas loaded the bases with nobody out in the 13th inning but failed to score. In the top of the 15th, Fullerton had two men on and two out when Bates snared Kevin Reimer’s line drive to end the threat.

In the 17th inning, Texas’ Dave Wrzesinski walked to lead off, and Mike Anderson singled him to third. The next batter was intentionally walked, and then Bates singled to center for the winning run.

Texas reliever Curt Krippner, a freshman, came on in the seventh inning to eventually pick up the win. Krippner gave up 4 hits, 3 runs, walked 12 and struck out 10 in 11 innings of work. Fullerton reliever Doug Robertson, who came on in the 16th, took the loss.

Tuesday’s game took 4 hours and 45 minutes to complete.

The teams meet again in Austin today in the last game of the three-game series with Mike Belanger scheduled to start for the Titans.

Fullerton returns to Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. play when it hosts San Jose State in a doubleheader Saturday.

In other action:

UC Irvine 11, Cal State Los Angeles 1--The Anteaters pounded the Golden Eagles in a nonconference game at Irvine.

Steve Morgan’s three-run home run in the fifth inning gave the Anteaters all the advantage they needed in the easy win. Buddy Anderson went 3 for 4, with two doubles and one RBI and Bob Perry went 3 for 3 and scored three runs for the Anteaters.

Doug Linton started and picked up the win for the Anteaters.

Chapman College 11, La Verne 3--Dan Grijalva went 3 for 3 and Scott Lockwood went 2 for 3, including a 3-run homer, to lead the Panthers to the nonconference win at Chapman. The Panthers (9-6) play at USIU today.