COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Nevin Homers Again as Titans Win

Junior Phil Nevin completed his second consecutive three-home run weekend and freshman D.C. Olsen hit his first collegiate homer as Cal State Fullerton beat Illinois, 7-4, in a nonconference game Sunday at Amerige Park in Fullerton.

Nevin had hit home runs Friday and Saturday in each of the victories over Illinois, and got his third Sunday when he lined one over the center-field fence to open the fifth. He also had hit a home run in each of Fullerton’s three games Feb. 20-22 at Arizona. He now has seven home runs this season and 24 in his career at Fullerton, tying him with Billy Moore (1981-83) in eighth place.

Nevin added an RBI double in the eighth inning as Fullerton scored twice to take a 7-4 lead. Nevin has driven in 20 runs in 14 games this season.

He credits much of his success to an off-season weight program and having Jason Moler hitting behind him. Moler is batting .404.

“With Jason behind you,” Nevin said, “you’re going to get some (good) pitches to hit.”

Olsen, a power hitter from Fullerton High School, drove a pitch over the left-field fence in the fourth to give the Titans a 3-2 lead. Olsen added a sacrifice fly in the fifth as Fullerton (10-4) opened a 5-2 lead.

Illinois (1-5) got a solo home run from Keith Toriani in the sixth and one from Andy Small in the eighth.

Dan Naulty (3-1) allowed six hits, three of which were home runs, in seven innings for the victory. Tony Fetchel retired all six batters he faced for his second save.

Small’s homer in the eighth cut Fullerton’s lead to 5-4. But Steve Sisco had a two-out double to score Dante Powell in the eighth as the Titans went ahead, 6-4. Nevin then grounded a double down the left-field line to score Sisco.

In another nonconference baseball game:

Chapman 3, Grand Canyon 2--Chapman strung together three doubles to score two runs in the seventh and won the game and the three-game series. Rob Reimers, Jason White and Larry Stahlhoefer each doubled in the seventh for the Panthers (12-5), who now have won eight of their past nine games.

Pete Coleman allowed two hits and struck out four in five innings. Coleman allowed one run when Matt Evans hit a home run in the fourth.

Steven Aviles pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and an unearned run in the sixth. Richard Smith got the final out of the ninth inning for his sixth save of the season.

In Big West Conference baseball:

Cal State Long Beach 12, UC Irvine 5--Long Beach (9-6, 2-1) scored five runs in the third and sixth innings and had 19 hits against three Irvine pitchers at Anteater Field. Michael Case had four hits, including a two-run home run in the third inning, and three runs batted in for the 49ers.

Tim McDonnell hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Anteaters (8-7, 1-2) a short-lived 2-1 lead.

In the Nevada Las Vegas softball tournament:

Cal State Fullerton 8, Toledo 3--Rose Garces and Kelly Hunt each hit home runs to lead the Titans to a consolation-round victory. The Titans (6-6) also beat Southern Louisiana, 2-1, in their final consolation-round game and Tiffany Boyd (4-3) picked up both victories.