COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Popoff Wins Fourth in Row as Titans Rally to Beat Cal

Senior right-hander James Popoff (4-3) allowed four runs in 7 2/3 innings for his fourth consecutive victory as Cal State Fullerton defeated California, 8-4, in a nonconference baseball game Friday at Berkeley.

The Titans (13-12) trailed, 2-1, going into the sixth, but rallied for six runs. The inning was capped by Chris Powell’s three-run home run.

David Ayala started with a double, and Steve Sisco was hit by a pitch. After a fly out, Phil Nevin walked to load the bases. Jason Moler popped up for the second out, but Frank Charles doubled in two runs to put Fullerton ahead, 3-2. Matt Hattabaugh singled in a run, and Powell followed with his first home run.

Chris Robinson pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his fourth save. California is 14-11.

In another nonconference game:

Portland 11, UC Irvine 9 (11 innings)--Phil Geisler had a two-run home run off Jon Rust (1-2) in the 11th to break a 9-9 tie at Irvine. Matt Filson, Joe Furukawa, and Brain Young had home runs for Irvine (13-13). Filson had four hits and three RBIs and Furukawa had four hits.

In Big West Conference softball:

Cal State Fullerton 5-15, New Mexico State 0-0--Tiffany Boyd pitched a three-hitter for fourth-ranked Fullerton in the first game. The Titans (22-7, 5-2) had 15 hits in the second game.

In Rebel Spring Games softball:

Chapman 7, Maine 2--Sandy Olivas hit her seventh home run to lead off a three-run fourth inning. Olivas also had a double in the Panthers’ three-run fifth. Cheri Schreck (10-2) allowed six hits and struck out five.

Chapman 2, Evansville 0--Jacki Blake (12-0) had nine strikeouts and allowed two hits as the Panthers (22-2) won their eighth consecutive game in Florida.

In the National Bible College men’s basketball tournament:

San Jose Christian 83, Pacific Christian 78 (OT)--Phil Garcia made a 10-foot jump shot with one second remaining in regulation to tie the score, 71-71. The Royals (31-19) twice led by four in overtime. Kenny Crawford, who made eight of his nine shots during Pacific Christian’s second-half rally, scored 27 points.

In the NCAA wrestling championships:

Titan heavyweight loses--Top-ranked heavyweight Jon Llewellyn of Illinois defeated Cal State Fullerton’s David Jones, 3-1, in the semifinals. Jones will wrestle today for third place. At 177 pounds, Fullerton’s Ramon Diaz lost, 8-1, to Scott Chenoweth of Nebraska in the third consolation round.

In nonconference men’s tennis:

UC Irvine 5, Miami 3--Junior Mike Roberts defeated Miami’s Conny Falk, the second-ranked singles player in NCAA Division I, at No. 1 singles as the 20th-ranked Anteaters (9-3) defeated the No. 19 Hurricanes.

In nonconference men’s gymnastics:

Cal State Fullerton 278.75, UC Santa Barbara 271.90--Amir Kadury won the floor exercise and the all-around title for host Fullerton (8-19).