College Baseball : Eccles’ Slam Helps Titans to 18-3 Rout

Senior catcher John Eccles hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs Friday to lead Cal State Fullerton to an 18-3 nonconference win over New Mexico on Titan Field.

The Titans scored 12 runs in the fifth inning, which was highlighted by Eccles’ grand slam. It was his sixth home run of the season. The Titans’ Pat Garman, who was 3 for 4 and scored four runs, hit a home run in the seventh with a man on.

Senior left-hander Mike Belanger struck out 15 and scattered seven hits in earning the win.

The teams play again today at 1 p.m.

In nonconference action:

Keio University (Japan) 6, UC Irvine 4--Makoto Mumano was 2 for 4 with one RBI and Teruaki Haga was 1 for 3 with one RBI and three runs scored to lead Keio to the exhibition win at Irvine. UC Irvine plays Washington State today at noon.

Cal State Long Beach 6, Southern California College 5--The Vanguards blew a 5-1 lead at Long Beach and lost to the 49ers, who scored twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth.

Christ College Irvine 11, University of Redlands 7--Charlie Connors doubled and tripled to lead the Eagles’ 17-hit attack.

Connors doubled in three runs in the fifth. Junior Mark Lofink was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and Jan Novak was 3 for 4 with one RBI and two runs scored for the Eagles. Senior right-hander John Shimkus (4-1) pitched a complete game and earned the win. Chris College (7-3) plays Pacific Baptist College today at noon at Irvine.