COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Titans Beat Long Beach in 12 Innings

D.C. Olsen’s one-out double down the left-field line in the 12th inning scored Brian Loyd to give Cal State Fullerton a 6-5 comeback victory over Long Beach State Saturday before a Titan Field record crowd of 2,456.

Loyd led off the inning with a single to left and was sacrificed to second by Joe Fraser.

Mark Kostay pitched four innings of scoreless relief to improve his record to 2-0.

Left fielder Robert Matos sent the game into extra innings for the Titans with a one-out home run to center field off reliever Gabe Gonzalez (2-2). Gonzalez had retired seven of the first eight batters he faced before giving up the home run to Matos, his third of the season.

Titan pitcher Tim Dixon started the game with control problems and it cost the hard-throwing left-hander. After retiring the first two batters, Dixon gave up a single to center by Jeff Liefler. Dixon then walked Kirk Pierce before Jason Hodges lined a triple to left-center, scoring Liefler and Pierce, giving the 49ers a 2-0 lead.

Fullerton took advantage of 49er mistakes to get back in the game. In the first, Kotsay reached first on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by 49er shortstop Jason Knupfer. Kotsay went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielding error by Knupfer.

The Titans tied the score, 2-2, when Fraser led off the second with a double down the left-field line. Fraser went to third when 49er starting pitcher Rocky Biddle’s pickoff attempt sailed into center field. Third baseman Tony Martinez drove in Fraser with a ground out to third.

Long Beach State regained a two-run lead in the top of the third. Liefler led off with a walk, then went to third on a two-out bloop single by Jason Minici that just went beyond the glove of shortstop Jack Jones. Will Skett then lined a two-out double to right, scoring Liefler and Minici, making the score 4-2.

Fullerton came back in the fifth to tie the score, 4-4. Jones led off with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Matos and scored on a single to center by C.J. Ankrum. Ankrum later scored on another defensive miscue by Knupfer.

The Titans battled out of a couple of jams late in the game to stay within reach. In the sixth inning with one out, pitcher Mark Chavez came in to relieve Dixon and got 49er pinch-hitter Nick Frank to hit into a double play. In the top of the ninth, the 49ers had runners on first and second with no outs and failed to score. A double play and a diving catch by Matos kept the 49ers off the scoreboard.

In nonconference baseball:

Cal Baptist 1-2, Southern California College 2-1--Jeff Beckley and Matt Baker combined to hold Cal Baptist to three hits to give SCC a victory in the first game. Beckley pitched seven innings, giving up three hits, one run and striking out four for the victory and Baker pitched a perfect eighth and ninth to earn his second save.

In the second game, Kevin Withers lost for SCC despite throwing a complete game and giving up only two hits and two walks.