Final Play Likely to Stick With Horton for a While

Cal State Fullerton Coach George Horton isn’t likely to forget the game-ending play by Sacramento State, which beat the Titans in the Big West baseball tournament Friday night, 6-5.

“I’ve seen some sloppy plays in my career, but I can’t remember getting beat on one like that in that situation,” Horton said Saturday.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Hornets’ Dan Elorduy hit a bouncer back to the side of the mound. Relief pitcher Adam Johnson fielded it, but the run scored when the pitcher’s high throw went off the the glove of catcher Craig Patterson.

Another run scored when Patterson, who chased the ball down at the backstop, threw to the plate, where no one was covering. A third run scored when Ryan Owens was called for obstructing a runner rounding third base.

“You don’t often see three runs score on a ball hit about 40 feet,” Horton said.