COLLEGE BASEBALL : Titans Erupt in Late Innings for 22-9 Victory Over Long Beach

A lot of hits and runs overshadowed a little bit of controversy in Cal State Fullerton’s 22-9 victory over Cal State Long Beach Saturday at 49er Field.

The Titans (32-12, 13-4) moved into sole possession of second place in the Big West Conference by collecting 20 hits and scoring in every inning. Fullerton remained a game behind conference leader Fresno State (33-13, 14-3), and Long Beach (25-16-1, 12-5) dropped into third, two games out.

Five of Fullerton’s runs came in the fourth inning, including two that scored on a disputed two-out double by Steve Sisco. Sisco hit a line drive into left-center field, and Long Beach left fielder Michael Case appeared to make a spectacular diving catch.

But neither of the two field umpires had a clear view of the play and neither immediately signaled whether Case had made the catch. Fullerton’s Jason Moler and Tony Banks scored, Banks from first, and Sisco advanced to second when Long Beach players paused, thinking the inning was over.

After a lengthy argument between Long Beach Coach Dave Snow and the three umpires, the play was ruled a double and the runs were allowed, giving Fullerton an 8-1 lead.

Those runs looked as if they might play a factor in the outcome during Long Beach’s next two at-bats, when the 49ers rallied for six runs to pull to within 9-7. Back-to-back home runs by Todd Pridy and Alan Burke highlighted a four-run Long Beach fifth, in which the 49ers had four extra-base hits.

But Fullerton buried the controversy by scoring a total of nine runs in the sixth and seventh to increase the lead to 19-8. In the sixth, singles by Banks, Sisco, Bret Hemphill, Nate Rodriguez and Jeremy Carr resulted in four runs, two driven in by Rodriguez.

The Titans then put the game away in the seventh when two hits, a walk, an error and a pair of sacrifices led to five more runs.

Saturday’s game marked the seventh time this season Fullerton has had 20 or more hits. The 22 runs equaled the Titans’ second-highest total of the year. They scored 24 against Hartford March 17.

Moler was four for six with two RBIs, and Banks went three for four with two walks and four runs scored. Frank Herman hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth for the Titans, and added a double in the ninth.

The only Fullerton starter without either a hit or a run scored was Phil Nevin, the Titans’ leading hitter with a .420 average, who was zero for seven day with three strikeouts.

Paco Chavez, who came on in relief of starter Derek Fahs in the fifth after the consecutive homers by Pridy and Burke, earned the victory and improved to 3-3. Michael McLain (5-3) was knocked out in the fourth inning and took the loss.

The three-game series concludes today at 1 p.m. at 49er Field.

In another Big West game:

UC Irvine 4, San Jose State 0--Jeff Heath had a no-hitter for 7 2/3 innings before settling for a three-hitter in pitching his first shutout of the season.

Tim McDonnell’s two-out, seventh-inning double opened the scoring as the Anteaters improved to 19-22, 7-10.

In Golden State Athletic Conference baseball:

Azusa Pacific 4-10, Christ College Irvine 2-4--The Cougars took a three-game lead in the conference race with the doubleheader sweep at Christ College Irvine.

In the opener, the Eagles had three hits and scored twice in the first but were limited to one hit the rest of the way by Ralph Montenegro (3-0).

Azusa Pacific (29-11, 14-4) combined three singles, two doubles and an error for seven runs in the first inning of the second game.

Mike Adams doubled twice, driving in two runs for Christ College Irvine (26-12, 11-5).

Southern California College 1-7, Cal Baptist 2-6 (first game 15 innings)--Gregg Urtell’s infield single in the bottom of the seventh drove in Doug Rystrom with the winning run as the host Vanguards (22-20-1, 10-8) earned a split of their doubleheader.

Matt Musselman’s solo homer in the top of the 15th inning gave Cal Baptist (15-25, 7-10) the victory in the opener.