COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Fullerton Errors Costly in Loss to Stanford

Cal State Fullerton’s baseball team, victimized by sloppy defense and poor hitting, was beaten, 5-2, by Stanford Friday at Amerige Park in Fullerton.

Stanford, 4-0 and ranked first in the ESPN/Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, benefited from two errors to score three unearned runs in the fifth inning. Stanford got two earned runs in the seventh. Fullerton scored single runs in the seventh and ninth.

Fullerton (1-1) had only one hit through six innings and finished with four off starter John Reid (6 2/3 innings) and two off reliever Scott Weiss (2 1/3 innings), who got his first save.

Fullerton starter James Popoff (0-1) was the victim of the errors, but one was his own. Troy Tallman opened the fifth with a grounder that Popoff mishandled. Tallman stole second and went to third when David Holbrook lined a single to right. Popoff struck out John Lynch, but Chris Kemper, Stanford’s ninth-place hitter, hit a grounder toward third. Trevor Rush started in, then retreated, and the ball went between his legs for an error, allowing Tallman to score.

Steve Solomon followed with a two-run double to the fence in left-center field.

Solomon slammed a triple to the fence in center field to start the seventh and scored on a single by Roger Burnett. Burnett scored on a sacrifice fly by Turner.

Fullerton’s Steve Sisco doubled with one out in the seventh for only the Titans’ second hit of the game off Reid (2-0). Frank Charles’ single scored Sisco.

Rush singled and Weiss replaced Reid. Fullerton pinch-hitter Jim Betzsold drove the ball to deep center field but Stanford’s Jeffrey Hammonds dashed back for the inning-ending catch.

Fullerton loaded the bases in the ninth and got a one-out sacrifice fly from Rush to score Sisco, who had reached on a bunt single. Betzsold struck out with two runners on to end the game.

The series continues today and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Amerige Park.