Another Fullerton Routine: Saarloos Starts, Titans Win

It was mostly business as usual Sunday for Cal State Fullerton pitcher Kirk Saarloos.

Saarloos barely missed his eighth complete game of the season, but he gave up only six hits in 8 2/3 innings and won his 10th consecutive decision in Fullerton’s 5-2 Big West Conference victory over host Cal State Northridge.

The victory gave the Titans (30-11, 8-1 in conference) the three-game series, two games to one. It was the 22nd victory in the last 25 games for Fullerton, which had its 14-game winning streak stopped by Northridge on Friday. Northridge is 25-18, 3-6.

Closer Chad Cordero and struck out the final batter after Saarloos (10-2) had given up one run in the ninth on two ground balls that bounced over infielders’ heads.

“I hoped I could finish it off, but [Cordero] did what he’s supposed to do,” Saarloos said. “I live on ground balls, but the hard surface probably worked against me in the ninth.”

Saarloos made 136 pitches, a career high. “I told the coaches before the eighth that it might be my last inning,” Saarloos said. “But I threw only five pitches that inning, so I felt I could come back.”

Saarloos walked four and struck out six. “He turned in a great effort, especially working with a tight strike zone,” Titan Coach George Horton said. “Whenever we give him the ball, we feel very good about our chances.”

Northridge Coach Mike Batesole also was impressed. “He’s as aggressive as any pitcher I’ve seen in a while, and has outstanding movement on his pitches,” Batesole said.

Fullerton staked Saarloos to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run homer by Robert Guzman after David Bacani had walked to lead off the inning.

The Matadors scored a run in the third on singles by Ryan Haag and Adam Nikolic, but Saarloos got out of the inning without further damage after Eric Verbryke doubled and Tim Arroyo was intentionally walked to load the bases. Saarloos struck out Jason Allec to end the inning.

The Titans picked up two more runs in the fifth, but lost a run earlier in the inning when Bacani was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Tim Coltey on Jason Corapci’s single. However, Northridge starter Bill Murphy walked Aaron Rifkin on four pitches with two out, and Brett Kay doubled down the left-field line, scoring Corapci. Mike Rouse’s single to right brought in Rifkin.

Fullerton added a run in the sixth and chased Murphy (7-4). A hit batter, a double by Bacani and Guzman’s single extended Fullerton’s lead to 5-1. It was Guzman’s third RBI of the game.

Saarloos walked the leadoff batter in the ninth and Jason Gorman’s high chopper went over third baseman Shawn Norris’ head. Then, with two outs, Nikolic’s bad-hop base hit scored Gorman, and the Titans went to Cordero.

The Titans had nine hits with Kay getting three.

“I thought we got a little complacent on offense late in the game,” Horton said.

“But we’re tickled to come out of this series with two victories. I didn’t like the way we swung the bats the first two days, and they killed us [15-1] Friday. We had five games this week, and it might have taken its toll on us. We don’t play again until Friday, so that will give us some time to regroup.”

The Titans play a three-game nonconference series at home against UC Riverside beginning Friday.