COLLEGE BASEBALL : Stanford Stops Titans on 9th-Inning Homer

It was exactly eight months ago that Cal State Fullerton walked off a baseball field a dejected bunch after losing by a run in the NCAA championship game.

It seemed much more recent than that to the Titans Friday night.

Playing their first game since that loss, the Titans suffered a stunning setback in their season-opener against Stanford at Titan Field. With the Titans one pitch away from celebrating, Stanford freshman A.J. Hinch slammed a two-run homer to propel the Cardinal to a 4-3 victory.

Following the loss, the stunned Titans admitted the game brought back memories of the championship loss last June to Pepperdine.

“It’s hard not to think back, but this is a new team,” Titan left fielder Tony Banks said. “That’s what Skip (Coach Augie Garrido) said. It’s just the first game of a new season.”

Banks thought he had the game-winning hit when he broke a 2-2 tie with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth. But Hinch had the final say in the ninth.

After Titan reliever Kim Hollibaugh retired the first two batters in the ninth, he walked Brian Dallimore. He then jumped out in front of Hinch, 0-2. But he grooved a curve ball and the much-heralded freshman from Midwest City, Okla., slammed it over the left-field wall.

“Just doing my job,” Hinch said before flashing a wide smile. “Yes, that was the biggest hit of my career.”

While he was obviously shaken by the loss, Garrido said he was pleased with the job of the Titans, who are ranked eighth nationally. Stanford came into the game ranked No. 12.

“We did a lot of things right for the first game,” said Garrido.

Titan starter Mike Parisi worked six-plus innings, giving up just four hits and two runs. Hollibaugh pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up just one hit--the homer.

Stanford (3-0), which starts four freshmen, including Cale Carter of Mater Dei High School, also got a good performance from its starting pitcher. Willie Adams gave up just four hits and two runs while striking out nine in six innings.

“A good game for this early,” said Garrido.

The two teams will meet again at 1 p.m. today at Titan Field.

In another nonconference game:

Chapman 5, St. Mary’s 1--Ben Mendoza and Buster Nietzke had home runs for host Chapman in a nonconference game. Corey Giuliano (1-0) was the winning pitcher.