Rifkin’s Double in Ninth Decides Game for Titans

Adam Rifkin doubled in the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cal State Fullerton a 5-4 victory over visiting Nevada in a Big West Conference baseball game Saturday.

Rifkin’s opposite-field hit scored David Bacani, who started the ninth with a single and took second on an error.

Spencer Oborn had a seventh-inning single to extend his hitting steak to 28 games and the victory was the 14th in row for the first-place Titans (24-5, 8-0 in conference).

Reliever Kirk Saarloos (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the victory. The teams conclude the series at 1 p.m. today at Fullerton.

In Golden State Athletic Conference baseball:

Concordia 9-3, Azusa Pacific 5-12--Concordia’s Jason Radwan extended his hitting streak to seven games, going three for four with two RBIs in the first game. Derek Patterson went two for three for the Eagles and hit a two-run homer in the fifth to make it 9-3.

In the Cal State Hayward softball tournament:

Humboldt State 6, Chapman 1 (5 innings, time limit)--Humboldt (25-1) scored two runs in the second and four in the third. Chapman (25-2) had three hits and scored one run in the fourth. The Panthers defeated Eastern Oregon, 7-3, in a later game. Starter Tiffany Hoskins (9-1) gave up four hits and Stephanie Carew had two homers and three RBIs for the Panthers in the victory.

In the Golden State Athletic Conference:

Point Loma Nazarene 3-0, Concordia 0-2--Christie Shankles pitched a four-hitter to lead the host Eagles (12-14, 2-6) in the second game.

In nonconference softball:

Southern California College 4-3, Hope International 0-2--Gina Liebengood (10-2) struck out five, pitching a nine-hit shutout. Aliscia Groshon had three hits and scored SCC’s first run. In the second game, Alysia Atchley struck out a season-high nine and gave up four hits.

In the La Verne track and field invitational:

Fikse sets record--Southern California College’s Rachel Fikse set school records in the hammer throw at 115 foot 2 inches and the shotput (34-9 1/2). Tanya Hanson won the high jump at 5-2, which tied the SCC record.

In the UC Irvine Sheratin Classic men’s tennis tournament:

UC Irvine 5, Dartmouth 1--Thomas Bohun, Chris Chung and Stefan Pongratz won in straight sets in singles to lead UCI, which plays Alabama Birmingham at 1:30 p.m. today in the final at the UCI Tennis Stadium. Alabama Birmingham is the defending tournament champion. The Anteaters (12-1) have won the tournament seven times.