Titans Get Along Fine Without Horton

Cal State Fullerton didn’t have Coach George Horton--who was ejected for arguing a call in the third inning--in the dugout for most of Tuesday night’s game at Titan Field against Loyola Marymount.

But the 11th-ranked Titans (22-5) have been so effective lately, they seem to be cruising along on automatic pilot.

Fullerton won its 12th consecutive game, 8-2, and stayed unbeaten in the month of March. It also gave the Titans more momentum for this weekend’s key Big West Conference series against 22nd-ranked Nevada.

Aaron Rifkin continued his hot hitting, Spencer Oborn stretched his hitting streak to 26 games and Reed Johnson connected for his fifth home run of the season.

Rifkin was three for four against Loyola (17-13) after going eight for 13 in last weekend’s three-game series at Sacramento State. Johnson has homered in each of the last three games.

The Titans saved their four top starting pitchers for the series against Nevada, which is a game behind first-place Fullerton. Jason Westemeir (1-1) picked up the victory, giving up four hits and two runs in three innings. George Carralejo, Marco Hanlon and Kirk Saarloos pitched in relief.

Horton had to watch much of the game from the Titan bullpen, but he liked most of what he saw.

“Some of our pitchers who haven’t been throwing regularly got a chance and they did an adequate job,” Horton said. “And I thought our defense was very solid.”

Horton was ejected when he protested a call at first base after Oborn was thrown out on a bunt. It was the second time Horton has been ejected in his three seasons as head coach.

“I didn’t think I said enough this time to get thrown out,” Horton said. “But I was frustrated with a balk call earlier, and I thought Spencer beat out the play. A coach has to stand up for his players in a situation like that. We have good assistants, and they did a good job.”

The Titans continued their first-inning good fortune with four runs and were in control the rest of the way. Fullerton has scored at least one run in its first at-bat in 20 of 27 games.

Robert Guzman’s double and Oborn’s triple were the big hits in the inning. Rifkin had an RBI single and came home on a double steal. Shawn Norris drove in the fourth run when his pop fly dropped for a base hit.

The Lions came back with single runs in the second and third off Westemeir, but the Titans got one back in the third. Chris Beck walked, advanced on Rifkin’s base hit and scored on Ryan Owens’ sacrifice fly.

The Titans added a run in the fifth when Loyola reliever Mike Gehrlein gave up his third walk of the inning, forcing in a run. The Titans had chance for more, but Jeff Gates struck out and Chad Olszanski grounded into a double play.

Johnson’s bases-empty homer highlighted a two-run eighth.