Fullerton Overwhelms Pacific, 16-4

After Cal State Fullerton was shut out in the opener of a three-game series Thursday, Pacific Coach Quincey Noble laughed and said, “Now maybe it will rain the next two days.”

Pacific had no such luck. The only deluge came in base hits by the Titans.

Fullerton, which had 19 hits and 17 runs in Friday’s one-sided victory, overwhelmed Pacific again Saturday, 16-4, at Titan Field with junior first baseman C.J. Ankrum leading the way.

Ankrum drove in seven runs on four of Fullerton’s 18 hits and scored four times. Ankrum’s big day included a three-run homer in the third inning and two doubles.

“That was one of the best days I’ve had in college,” Ankrum said. “I had some good days in the Cape Cod League last summer, when I had several hits, but this felt real good.”

Hardly overshadowed in the flurry on offense was the pitching of Fullerton’s Brandon Duckworth (5-1). Duckworth gave up only three hits in six scoreless innings. He struck out eight and didn’t give up a walk in his top performance since moving into the starting rotation.

Freshman Michael Garner replaced him in the seventh with the Titans leading, 16-0. Garner retired the Tigers in order, but Mike Greenlee gave up two two-run homers to Ryan Stowasser and Blake Dunbar when he took over in the eighth. Pacific finished with seven hits.

The victory in the series finale lifted the Titans to 20-14. They are 8-4 in the Big West and trail division-leading Long Beach State by three games. Pacific dropped to 20-15, 5-7 in the conference.

“It was one of our best efforts of the season, when you consider the effort on the mound, the defense, and the offense,” Titan Coach George Horton said.

The Titans had a 7-0 cushion after two innings. Fullerton scored three in the first and four in the second off Pacific starter Darin Moore (1-2), who gave up 11 hits in three innings.

Pete Fukuhara and Ankrum set the tone at the start, with consecutive doubles that produced a quick run. Ankrum added two more RBIs in the second when he doubled off the wall in left center.

Ankrum’s homer in the third, which followed Jerome Alviso’s second consecutive hit and a Pacific error, was his second of the season. Ankrum picked up his seventh RBI in a five-run fifth inning with a bloop single.

The Titans play the Angels in an exhibition game Monday at Titan Field, then resume the regular season with a game Tuesday at San Diego.

In another Big West Conference game:

Long Beach State 10, Sacramento State 3--Keith Cowley hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning as Long Beach State defeated Sacramento State to maintain a three-game lead in the Big West’s South Division. J.J. Newkirk had a two-run double in the eighth for the 49ers (20-12, 11-1).

Paul Day had three hits for Long Beach State.

Iran Barrera struck out six in 6 1/3 innings for his third straight victory.