Titans Fall Twice to Stanford

After waiting two days, Cal State Fullerton and Stanford finally were able to play baseball Monday after a weekend of rain. It was Stanford, however, that was able to enjoy the sunny day in Sunken Diamond after the storm clouds lifted.

The Cardinal, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, boosted its record to 7-0 by sweeping Monday’s doubleheader, winning the finale, 5-2, after a 7-3 victory in the first game. The third game of the series was canceled.

It was the first time since 1991 that the Titans (3-3) haven’t won at least one game in the series between the teams.

The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning of the second game, but Stanford came back with five unearned runs in the eighth.

Stanford starter Chad Hutchinson, who give up five hits in 6 1/3 innings, gave up a base hit to Aaron Rowand and two walks. Ryan Owens’ sacrifice fly against reliever Justin Wayne drove in one run and another came in on David Trentine’s infield hit.

But Stanford rallied in the eighth.

Leadoff batter John Salter reached on an error by shortstop David Bacani, and Joe Borchard beat out a high chopper to third for an infield hit against Benny Flores, who gave up three hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings of relief.

Relief pitcher Kirk Saarloos, who took the loss, gave up a walk to load the bases. Greg Jacobs then came in and walked Jody Gerut, forcing in a run. Saarloos returned from left field to strike out John Gall, but Nick Day nailed him for a two-run single up the middle. Two more runs scored in the inning.

Freshman Jon Smith had held Stanford hitless through three innings in Game 2, but Flores, as planned, took over in the fourth.

“We just didn’t play as well as we could,” Titan Coach George Horton said. “Our young relievers came in and walked guys. We have to get that corrected. And both their big innings in the two games started with easy plays we didn’t make. It was shabby defense on our part again.”

Horton was equally disappointed with his team’s offense, primarily against starters Hutchinson and Jeff Austin, who gave up only one hit in the first game.

“Hutchinson and Austin are outstanding pitchers, but we helped them,” Horton said. “We were undisciplined at the plate. Setting around for two days waiting to play didn’t help. I thought Stanford was sloppy at the plate early, but they got better.”

The Cardinal won the seven-inning first game when Gerut hit his second homer of the game off starter Erasmo Ramirez, igniting a four-run fifth inning.

The only hit Austin gave up was a two-run homer to Steve Chatham, but the Cardinal also made four errors. Ramirez (0-1) gave up eight hits, three of them homers, in five innings.

Trailing, 3-0, Chatham homered in the third and the Titans tied the score in the fourth inning when David Trentine’s sacrifice fly followed two consecutive Cardinal infield errors.

Stanford’s four-run fifth started with a one-out infield hit. Ramirez lost a force out when Owens dropped the throw from shortstop Chad Olszanski at second before Gerut homered to right.