Fullerton Feasts on the Trojans’ Pitching Staff

It was hardly perfect baseball weather Sunday night, what with the 40-degree temperatures and a hailstorm late in the game, but that didn’t bother Cal State Fullerton.

But then almost nothing has been bothering the top-ranked Titans lately.

Fullerton won its 12th consecutive game after a season-opening loss, winning the Anaheim Hilton & Towers Baseball Classic championship with a 17-4 victory over USC in front of 2,313 at Titan Field. It was USC’s third loss in 13 games and stopped a six-game winning streak.

The Titans defeated the Trojans, 11-5, for the College World Series title last year in Omaha, Neb.

Fullerton had a comfortable lead long before the hail hit in the bottom of the eighth inning. And, after an eight-minute delay, the Titans scored seven more runs for their biggest inning of the season. By then, many in the season’s largest crowd at Titan Field had departed.

“We got embarrassed, and that’s unfortunate,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie said. “But they’re outstanding. There’s no real weakness on that team. They’re very efficient and you really have to play well to have a chance against them.”

Mark Kotsay, named tournament most outstanding player, joined C.J. Ankrum and Jeremy Giambi to lead Fullerton’s 14-hit outburst. Kotsay was four for five, batted in two runs and scored three.

“I guess it was a moral victory that we kept Kotsay in the park,” said Gillespie, referring to Kotsay going without a home run. Kotsay had hit nine in the previous 10 games, including two Saturday night against Oklahoma.

Ankrum, one of only three regulars hitting less than .300, emerged from his early-season slump. He was three for four, driving in six runs and scoring three. He had a two-run homer and two doubles. Giambi also had three hits and drove in a run.

“It was about time for me,” Ankrum said. “But I’ve been staying with what the coaches have been telling me. I’ve been hitting the ball hard, but getting robbed. They’ve supported me, even if I haven’t been hitting my weight.” Ankrum was batting .200 before the game.

Left-hander Brent Billingsley (4-0) was the winner. He gave up four runs on six hits and walked four. Mark Chavez came on in relief in the sixth and pitched four scoreless innings and gave up two hits. The save was his third this season and second of the tournament.

Titan Coach Augie Garrido was pleased with the way Billingsley stopped some potential big innings early. “He did a good job of not letting things get further than they did,” Garrido said.

George Horton, the associate head coach who handles the pitchers, was especially pleased with Chavez, named most outstanding pitcher of the tournament.

Seth Etherton (2-1) was the loser, giving up eight hits and eight runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Etherton was his worst enemy in Fullerton’s four-run first inning, which set the tone for the game. Kotsay doubled and Etherton hit Scott Seal and walked Steve Chatham to load the bases. Then he hit Ankrum to force in the first run. Brian Loyd drove in two more runs with a single to left that skipped past Ryan Stromsborg’s glove at third. Martinez drilled another shot at Stromsborg, and his low throw to first enabled Ankrum to score.

Billingsley also had control problems in the second, with three walks and an error costing him a run, but the Titans got two more in their half of the inning. Kotsay singled to drive in Jack Jones, who doubled. Giambi beat out an infield hit off Etherton’s glove, and Kotsay scored when Chatham grounded out, putting Fullerton ahead, 6-1.

Each team scored twice in the fourth. USC got a bases-empty home run from Marc Mirizzi, but Ankrum answered that with his two-run shot, ending Etherton’s night on the mound.

USC added another run in the fifth to cut the deficit to 8-4, when Jacque Jones scored when Brian Ponchak bounced into a double play. But the Titans came back for two more in the sixth. Trojan reliever Craig Jones walked two in the inning, and Giambi scored from third on a balk before Ankrum drove in his fourth run of the game with a single.

Fullerton’s seven-run eighth just added insult to injury to the Trojans.

Titan Notes

The Florida State-Oklahoma game was canceled because of rain. . . . The Titans had six players on the all-tournament team. Pitchers Scott Hild and Mark Chavez were chosen, as were C.J. Ankrum, Jack Jones, Steve Chatham and Mark Kotsay.