Titans No Match for Stanford

Stanford lived up to its preseason ranking as college baseball’s No. 1 team, completing a three-game sweep over No. 2 Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.

With Stanford starter Brian Sager holding Fullerton scoreless on two hits through six innings, the Cardinal made it look easy in a 7-3 victory in front of 2,327 at Sunken Diamond.

It is the first time the Titans have started 0-3 as a Division I team and also the first time the Titans have been swept in a three-game series since Long Beach State did it in 1993.

“I was telling our guys before the game that I knew it hadn’t happened since I’ve been here,” junior second baseman David Bacani said. “But Stanford put some great pitchers against us this weekend. We couldn’t seem to get anything going.”

Stanford swept the Titans in three games in the 1991 and 1990 seasons, but Fullerton had won season openers both years.

“We’re certainly not accustomed to being swept by anyone,” Fullerton Coach George Horton said. “But they were hitting on all cylinders in all areas this weekend. They’re a team with no glaring weaknesses.”

Fullerton, which averaged nine runs a game last season, scored eight in the series, and was shut out through seven innings Sunday.

Right-hander Ronnie Corona, a transfer from Cypress College, made his first start for the Titans, giving up six hits and five runs in six innings. Corona also gave up four walks.

Each team had eight hits, but Stanford was again more opportunistic. “That’s what good teams do,” Horton said. “They make their own breaks. When they got bad pitches, they took advantage of them.”’

Stanford (5-0) capitalized on a throwing error by right fielder Steve Woodward for a run in the second, and Edmund Muth ripped a two-run homer in the third.

Corona walked two batters to start the fourth, which also cost him a run. The runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and John Gall scored on an infield out. Stanford added another run in the fifth when Craig Thompson doubled and scored on Muth’s sacrifice fly.

“The walks hurt me,” Corona said. “I usually don’t walk many guys, but I think I was guiding pitches when I got behind on the count, and they took advantage of it.”

The Titans scored all three of their runs in the eighth. Brett Kay, Mike Martinez and Woodward opened the inning with singles to load the bases. Chris Stringfellow drove in one run with a sacrifice fly. Another came across on Robert Guzman’s double, and the third scored when Bacani grounded out.

Outfielder Chris Beck, the Titans’ top hitter last season, sat out the game because of a left wrist he sprained in practice Wednesday and aggravated in Friday’s series opener. He is scheduled to have X-rays today to determine the extent of the injury. “There’s a big hole in our lineup when he isn’t in there,” Horton said.

Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said: “We’ve played very well. We’ve made only one error in our first five games. I don’t think either team hit extremely well, but we have all our pitching back, and so does Fullerton. They’re a good, solid team.”