Oborn’s Three Home Runs Go to Waste

Cal State Fullerton’s Spencer Oborn blasted three home runs, and the Titans scored 10 runs against Sacramento State Sunday at Titan Field.

But it wasn’t another ho-hum Titan victory. Sacramento State, the Big West Conference’s last-place team, pounded out 18 hits to win, 13-10, ending fourth-ranked Fullerton’s 10-game winning streak.

The loss, only Fullerton’s third in 24 conference games, cost the first-place Titans (40-9) a sweep of the three-game series and cut their lead over second-place Nevada to 3 1/2 games with six to play.

“We got whipped,” Titan Coach George Horton said. “We didn’t pitch as well as we could have, but some of the credit has to go to Sacramento State.”

Starter Jon Smith didn’t pitch because of arm problems, and the Titans missed him. “I think we would have won if Smith had been able to throw,” Horton said. “But we’re not going to do anything nationally if we don’t have more than three starters and a closer pitching effectively.”

Marco Hanlon, who had given up only one hit over nine innings in two relief appearances last week, started Sunday’s game and gave up only one run through four innings. The Hornets, however, got to him after he retired the first two batters in the fifth.

The Hornets (15-35, 5-19), ending an eight-game losing streak, scored six runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to wipe out a 6-1 Titan lead.

Hanlon gave up four hits in the fifth, including a two-run single by Daniel Harkness, and left with the bases loaded. Barry Hawkins took over, and gave up a three-run double to Michael Ford.

“I didn’t feel tired, and I don’t think I let down with two outs, but sometimes those things happen,” said Hanlon, who had pitched four innings Tuesday in a victory at UCLA.

The Titans used four pitchers--Hawkins, Jason Westemeir, Michael Garner and Ruben Jurado--in the sixth inning and seven for the game. Hawkins (1-1) took the loss.

The pitching collapse wasted Oborn’s big day. It was the first three-homer game by a Titan since Jeff Ferguson did it in a 23-10 victory at New Mexico State in 1994. The school record for home runs in a game is four by Sam Favata in a 34-5 victory over La Verne College in 1980.

Oborn had a two-run home run in the fourth, a bases-empty shot in the sixth and another two-run homer in the eighth to finish with five RBIs. He has 10 homers this season.

“It was disappointing to lose, but everyone was playing hard.” Oborn said. “We kept battling.”

The Hornets’ Jesse Krebs and Aurelio Jackson each went five for six. Sacramento State’s 18 hits were the most the Titans have given up this season.