College Baseball : Reserves Lead Titans Past the Cougars, 3-2

Cal State Fullerton’s reserves came through when it counted Friday afternoon as the Titans defeated Washington State, 3-2, in a semifinal game of the Best in the West Tournament at Fresno State.

Fullerton trailed, 2-0, with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning when pinch-hitter Dann Howitt and Alan Stankiewicz hit back-to-back home runs to tie score.

With one out in the ninth, Titan pinch-hitter Paul Cameron singled. Pinch-runner Andy Mota scored the winning run when Cougar left fielder Geof Magnuson bobbled the ball for an error.

Dave Serrano (2-1) got the win in relief of former Golden West College star Gary Buckels, who pitched 7 strong innings in his first start.

Fullerton improved its record to 18-9. Washington State is 10-5.

The Titans play BYU for the championship of the round-robin tournament tonight at 7. BYU (4-0-1 in the tournament and 11-5-2 overall) defeated Fullerton (4-1 in the tournament) Wednesday, 13-4.

In other collegiate baseball action:

Oral Roberts 10, UC Irvine 5 (10 innings)----The No. 5 Titans scored one run in the ninth to send the game into extra innings and added five runs in the tenth to beat the Anteaters (9-2-2).

Irvine pitcher Doug Linton was a strike away from ending the game in the ninth when Keith Lockhart lined a double to left. Adam Casillas singled him home for the tying run. Oral Roberts (22-5) scored five runs on five consecutive singles and a sacrifice in the tenth. Steve Hect had the game-winning RBi.

Linton (2-1) took the loss and Tim McCoy (7-0) got the win.

The Anteaters’ Tom Baines doubled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Teammate Doug Kline was 4 for 5 with one RBI. The teams play a doubleheader today at noon atIrvine.

In community college action:

Saddleback 6, Cerritos 4----The Gauchos took the lead with three runs in the third and upset the Falcons in a South Coast Conference game at Saddleback. Buck Bollinger doubled in a run in the fourth and scored on Dean Roberts’ single as Saddleback (3-3, 9-5) took the lead for good. Paul Prinz pitched the first 7 innings and earned the win. After the first two batters reached base in the top of the ninth for the Falcons (5-2, 10-6), catcher Steve Pratt took the mound and retired the final three hitters to earn his first save.