COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Rivette, 49ers Beat Titans, 8-1

Scott Rivette may have had some troubles early in the season, but the Long Beach State pitcher was back in top form Friday night for the opening of a three-game Big West baseball series with Cal State Fullerton.

Rivette gave up six hits and struck out 11 in nine innings to lead the 49ers to an 8-1 victory in front of 1,563 at Titan Field.

The victory left Long Beach alone in first place in the conference with a 6-1 record; the Titans dropped a game behind at 5-2. The second game of the series is at 7 tonight. The final game at 1 p.m. Sunday.

It was Long Beach’s sixth victory in the last seven games between the two teams.

The 49ers (19-13-1) blasted Titan starter Jon Ward for five early runs and coasted the rest of the way behind the pitching of Rivette (5-3). The Titans, ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Baseball America poll, fell to 30-6. Ward is 5-3.

Long Beach Coach Dave Snow was especially pleased by Rivette’s performance.

“That’s a real good hitting club and he held them in check pretty much,” Snow said, noting that Rivette is pitching better now than earlier in the season. “He had some physical things before that weren’t real serious, but they took away from his sharpness.”

Ward had control trouble in the first inning, hitting the first batter, Keith Rivera, and walking the second, Tim Falsken. Jason Hodges’ one-out single drove in one run. Ward got his second strikeout of the inning, but then gave up two more walks. Ward walked Kirk Pierce, forcing in the second run of the inning. Long Beach got to Ward for two more runs in the third. He gave up a single to Hodges, but had two outs when Nic Frank singled and Pierce doubled down the left-field line, driving in Hodges. Ward’s wild pitch gave the 49ers their second run of the inning and a 4-0 command.

It looked as though the Titans were going to sneak out a run in the third. Mark Kotsay’s high pop fly to short left appeared to be the third out of the inning, but the ball fell between three 49ers, and C.J. Ankrum, who had singled early in the inning, was running with two out and almost scored from first. He was out on close play.

The 49ers picked up another run on one hit in the fourth. Jason Knupfer singled to open the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on an infield out. John Mitchell replaced Ward.

The 49ers didn’t let up on Mitchell in the fifth. Frank’s hit bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, and he came home on Pierce’s single. Pierce, however, was thrown out at second on the play, leaving Long Beach on top, 6-0.

In nonconference baseball:

Chapman 7, Point Loma Nazarene 6 (10)--With two outs and Chapman trailing, 6-5, in the bottom of the 10th inning, Colin Medeiros’ double drove in Kurt Townson and Jason Smith with the tying and winning runs.

Concordia 6, Master’s 2--With the victory, Concordia (13-22) snapped a 10-game losing streak. Sophomore James Maddock (Orange Lutheran) pitched a complete game for the Eagles, giving up eight hits. Brett Waslefsky had two hits and two RBIs for the Eagles.