COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Titans Pick Up Second Sweep of the Season

Cal State Fullerton, which swept only one of seven three-game series with Big West Conference opponents last year, Sunday made it two for two this season.

The Titans used a key defensive play and solid relief pitching to hang on to a 6-5 victory against New Mexico State at Fullerton.

It was the seventh consecutive victory for Fullerton (15-7, 6-0 in conference), which beat New Mexico State, 6-5, Saturday and, 16-8, Friday. The Titans opened Big West play March 12-14 with a three-game sweep at UC Santa Barbara.

The Titans had a 6-4 lead in the ninth when reliever Chad Rolish gave up a pair of singles to open the inning. Rolish then got two strikes on David Baniewicz. Rolish was replaced by Kimson Hollibaugh, who struck out Baniewicz.

New Mexico State loaded the bases when George Martinez’s fly ball near the right-field line fell for a single.

Next, David Reyes bounced a ball into the hole that shortstop Nate Rodriquez rushed far to his right to glove. He then twisted and snapped a throw to second, all the while going toward the foul line, to force a runner.

“I didn’t think he was going to get the ball,” Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido said. “Basically that’s a play that can’t be made but he did it because he had to.”

Said Rodriquez: “I just reacted to the ball. I didn’t think I would get to it but it took a big bounce. It was team (play) really. We would have never got the guy at second unless (second baseman) Jeremy (Carr) didn’t stretch.”

Hollibaugh got Jim Wadsworth to fly to center fielder Dante Powell for the final out and Hollibaugh’s first save.

The Titans scored four times in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. Jim Betzsold had a two-run home run and Carr had a single to score Rodriquez who had singled and stolen second.

Carr stole second and, a pitch later, stole third, and continued home on a throwing error by catcher Sean Trotter.

New Mexico State (16-11, 0-3) came back with three in the fourth off starter Derek Fahs (3-1), who pitched 6 2/3 innings.

Efrain Lara had an RBI double and David Duncan followed with a two-run single in the fourth. Duncan went to third on a double but was picked off on a snap throw by catcher Bret Hemphill to end the inning.

Betzsold had an RBI double in the fourth and reached on a sacrifice and scored on a two-out single by Hemphill in the sixth to give Fullerton a 6-4 lead.

“It’s a good start,” Garrido said about being 6-0 and in first place in the Big West. “But it doesn’t assure anything.”

Fullerton will be at USC for a 7 p.m. nonconference game Tuesday, then will be home for University of the Pacific at 7 p.m. Friday.

In nonconference softball:

Cal State Fullerton 6, Minnesota 0--Cheryl Longeway (3-4) pitched a two-hitter for Fullerton (13-10), the designated visitor in the game at Fullerton. Marci White had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in three runs for Fullerton, which scored five runs in the seventh.

Tiffany Boyd had two hits and drove in three runs as the Titans beat Ohio State, 9-0, also Sunday. Miki Mangan had two hits and two RBIs in the victory over the Buckeyes.

In nonconference men’s tennis:

UC Irvine 8, Clemson 1--Aaron Stolpman stopped a six-match losing streak by beating George Lampert, 7-6, 6-1, at No. 1 singles for host UC Irvine (6-6).

Stolpman combined with Chris Tontz to win at No. 1 doubles, 6-3, 6-2, over Lampert and Bas Wild.

In the Heritage Inn Titan Tennis Classic:

Loyola Marymount 5, Cal State Fullerton 4--Loyola Marymount won all three doubles matches to take third place.

Hawaii won the tournament by beating Cal State Northridge, 5-2.