Giambi Drives Titans to Victory

Jeremy Giambi’s two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning gave Cal State Fullerton a 5-3 nonconference victory over Cal State Northridge Wednesday night at Titan Field.

Giambi’s slicing drive to left-center field drove in C.J. Ankrum and Mark Kotsay. In the ninth inning, Kotsay made a diving catch near the right-field foul line to end the game with two men on for Northridge.

Mark Chavez (1-1) was the winning pitcher. He worked the last two innings for Fullerton (15-2), the nation’s top-ranked team.

Northridge (10-7) overcame a 3-0 deficit in the top of the seventh. After John Mitchell had pitched six shutout innings for Fullerton, reliever Tom Dillon was greeted by Grant Hohman’s home run. Two walks and an error produced a second run, and Chad Thornhill doubled home the tying run off Chavez.

Kotsay had RBI singles in the third and fifth innings for Fullerton. Brian Loyd’s grounder drove in Tony Miranda in the first inning.

Fullerton will play a three-game series this weekend at No. 5 Texas.