Titans Open Big West Play With Victory Over Pacific

After being shut out by Pepperdine Tuesday, Cal State Fullerton returned to its usual form, scoring nine times to defeat Pacific, 9-5, in the Big West Conference opener for both teams Thursday night in Stockton.

The Titans used eight singles and a three-run home run by Tony Martinez to give starting pitcher Kirk Irvine his fifth victory against one defeat this season.

Irvine pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and three runs with five strikeouts.

Jeremy Giambi went three for four with two runs scored and three stolen bases and Mark Kotsay drove in two runs with sacrifice flies.

Fullerton (16-2, 1-0) led, 1-0, after three innings and broke the game open with a four-run fourth, highlighted by Martinez’s second home run of the season, scoring Mike Lamb and Brian Loyd.

Pacific (10-4, 0-1) cut the lead to 8-5 with two runs in the seventh inning, but Luis Estrella got Ramy Dickinson to ground to second and end the inning before the Spartans got any closer.

Mark Chavez pitched the last 1 1/3 innings and struck out three batters to post his fifth save.

The Titans lead the overall series with Pacific, 34-4.

In nonconference baseball:

Chapman 6, Cal Baptist 1--Chapman (9-5) got back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning by Cale Shepherd and Donny Disbro. Shepherd had two RBIs.

In Golden State Athletic Conference softball:

Southern California College 4, Concordia 3--Michelle Murie’s bloop single to right scored Jen Caruso with the game-winner as the Vanguards (6-4-2, 1-1) rallied for two runs in the seventh inning.

Heather Rogers singled to score Chrissy Vega with the tying run before Murie’s hit.

Concordia (11-10, 1-1) earned a split in the doubleheader, winning the second game, 3-2, when Geodi Sunabe scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on an error.

In nonconference women’s tennis:

Cal State San Bernardino 7, Southern California College 3--Quynh Le won at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-2, and teamed with Content Lyke to win at No. 3 doubles, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, for host SCC (6-3).

Chapman 9, Mills 0--Deborah Denio swept at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-0, as Chapman (3-3) lost only one set the entire match.