Titan Breakdowns Allow Stanford to Salvage Series Finale, 11-8

As self-destructions go, the Cal State Fullerton baseball team did a pretty solid job Sunday night.

The Titans made five errors and allowed three runs to score on wild pitches in an 11-8 nonconference loss to Stanford in front of about 1,000 spectators and an ESPN television audience at Titan Field.

Fullerton started with a six-run first inning, and the Titans still led, 8-5, before a mistake-filled eighth.

Stanford’s Troy Paulson, a sophomore from La Quinta High School, had a two-run double down the left-field line to cut the Fullerton lead to 8-7.

Paulson scored on a two-out single by Tim Griffin. Trevor Neighbors, the Fullerton right fielder, had the ball go off his glove for an error. When his throw to second base bounced away, he was charged with another error, and Griffin was able to reach third base.

He scored on wild pitch by Chris Robinson to give Stanford a 9-8 lead. Robinson (2-1), working in relief, took the loss for Fullerton (3-2).

Stanford added two more runs in the ninth off three Fullerton pitchers.

Stanford’s Steve Chitren, a senior right-hander, worked the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing only a hit and no runs for the victory. He is 1-1.

The Stanford victory prevented a Fullerton sweep of the three-game series. Fullerton won, 3-2, Friday and 5-2 Saturday.

“I’m very proud that we came back after falling behind in the first,” Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said. “There was a lot of adversity for those kids and they hung in there.”

Fullerton’s first-inning runs came on an RBI double by Rex Peters, a two-run double by Dave Staton, and run-scoring singles by Rich Gonzales, Randy Graves and Eddie Lample.

Stanford took advantage of some Fullerton mistakes to get back in the game in the second and third innings.

Stanford had runners on first and second after a single and an error by shortstop Graves. Jack Hollis then grounded to second baseman Mate Borgogno, who threw to Graves for a force at second. But Graves’ throw to first was wild, allowing a run to score. Hollis moved to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a wild pitch by starter Paul Johnson to cut the lead to 6-3.

Hollis had a bunt single to score Griffin in the fourth. Griffin had reached on a two-out error by third baseman Ramirez and moved to third on consecutive walks.

“I was pleased being able to take two of three,” Fullerton Coach Larry Cochell said. “If you look at the whole series, we did a lot of things well. Tonight, we just had some breakdowns defensively.”