Epstein’s Home Run Wins Game for Titans

Cal State Fullerton Coach George Horton told his team he was a little concerned about its competitiveness heading into a weekend series against Pacific.

The 11th-ranked Titans responded with a three-game Big West Conference sweep of the Tigers, winning on Sunday, 9-6, when Jake Epstein’s three-run homer capped a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Relief pitcher Kirk Saarloos shut out Pacific on no hits in the final 2 2/3 innings for the victory.

Epstein drove in five of the seven runs Fullerton scored in the final three innings, helping wipe out a four-run Pacific lead.

Epstein, a senior transfer from Missouri, drilled a two-run, pinch-hit double down the left-field line in a three-run seventh inning, then blasted his team-leading fourth homer high over the left-field wall at Titan Field in the ninth.

“Coach told me earlier that if they went to a left-hander, I’d get a swing,” Epstein said. “On the homer, I was looking for off-speed stuff, but their pitcher left a fastball up.”

It gave Epstein 20 runs batted in in 25 at-bats this season. Horton has been platooning Epstein and Aaron Rifkin at first base recently, but Pacific started right-handed pitchers in all three games, leaving Epstein on the bench.

“We can’t quit on Rifkin because he’s starting to look like Rifkin again, but we’ve got to figure out a way to get Epstein in the lineup,” Horton said. “It seems like every time he gets an opportunity to drive in runs, he drives in runs.”

Epstein raised his batting average to .440 with the two hits. Rifkin, the designated hitter on last year’s College World Series team, is batting .250 with eight RBIs in 56 at-bats.

The Titans (13-7, 3-0) tied the score in the ninth, 6-6, when pinch-hitter Craig Patterson ripped a ground ball down the third-base line against a defense that was moving in expecting a bunt.

“I was up there to bunt,” Patterson said. “But Chris Beck, who was in the on-deck circle, saw the defense charge, and he called ‘Slash,’ which means I try to slash the ball past the infielder charging in.”

It worked perfectly.

Steve Woodward had opened the ninth with an infield hit. Pinch runner Robert Guzman took second when Jason Corapci was safe on a bunt, then scored on Patterson’s single.

Fullerton scored three runs in the seventh to close the gap to 6-5. The Titans loaded the bases with none out on a walk, a hit batsman and David Bacani’s single. Pacific reliever Kyle Albers retired two batters, but hit Brett Kay to force in one run before Epstein doubled.

The Titans go on the road for a three-game series at Nevada beginning Friday.