Titans Hold On to Beat Nevada Las Vegas

Cal State Fullerton was rolling along with a three-run lead lead after eight innings Saturday night against Nevada Las Vegas after Brent Billingsley had given up only four hits.

But it got much tighter for the Titans in the top of the ninth. Reliever Mark Chavez took over at the start of the inning, and UNLV scored a run and had the bases loaded before Mark Kotsay struck out the final batter, preserving Fullerton’s 4-2 victory in front of 1,601 at Titan Field.

“It got exciting there,” Titan Coach Augie Garrido said. “But we have to understand that a game like that helps us, not hurts. It’s not always easy.”

Easy or not, the victory was Fullerton’s 14th in a row, one less than the 15-game streak earlier this season. The top-ranked Titans are 29-2.

UNLV, which started the series with 14 victories in 16 games, dropped to 27-10 with its second consecutive loss to the Titans. Fullerton is 5-0 in the Big West and the 25th-ranked Rebels are 3-2. The final game of the series is today at 1 p.m.

“Billingsley did a good job, but his pitch count was up and I thought he’d lost a little in the eighth,” associate head coach George Horton said. “My toughest decision was taking Chavez out in the ninth, but with the bases loaded, I knew Kotsay wouldn’t try to guide the ball in there.”

Billingsley improved to 8-0, striking out nine and walking three. The save was Kotsay’s second this season. “I haven’t been in that situation, with the bases loaded since last season,” Kotsay said.

Billingsley’s only complaint was a slow start. “I threw away too many pitches in the first three innings,” he said. “But I felt I got in control of my mechanics after the first.”

Billingsley gave up a leadoff double to Paul Tanner in the first, and he scored the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly. Billingsley came back to retire the side in order in the second, and the Titans gave him a 3-1 lead in their half of the second.

Rebel pitcher Tista Perri gave up two consecutive walks with one out to Brian Loyd and Mike Lamb, and Tony Martinez drilled a single to left. UNLV left fielder Chris Adolph mishandled the ball and both runners scored. Jerome Alviso’s double brought in Martinez. The Titans picked up one more run in the sixth when Lamb singled to open the inning and scored on Skip Kiil’s two-out triple.

“We had their pitcher on the ropes a couple of times early, but let him get off,” UNLV Coach Fred Dallimore said. “Both sides got good pitching, but we’ve got to score more than two runs to beat a quality team. I think we’ll hit better tomorrow in the daytime. We usually do.”

Perri (6-3) gave up all seven of Fullerton’s hits in 7 1/3 innings. He walked five. Lamb and Alviso each had two hits. Scott Hild (5-0) scheduled to pitch today for the Titans. Mike Bauder (5-2) is the probable starter for UNLV.