Titan Rally Ends With Double Play

Cal State Fullerton staged another last-gasp ninth-inning surge against Stanford Saturday, but this one fell short.

Shawn Norris grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, and visiting Stanford held on for a 9-8 nonconference baseball victory in front of 1,594.

It evened the three-game series between the Cardinal, ranked 14th by Baseball America, and the No. 15 Titans at a game apiece. The series finale is at 1 p.m. today at Goodwin Field.

Fullerton, which rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth for a one-run victory Friday night, scored twice in the ninth Saturday to cut Stanford’s lead to a run.

Designated hitter Louie Lamoure singled and freshman Shane Costa doubled to start the ninth. Lamoure scored and Costa went to third on a balk by Stanford relief pitcher Ryan McCally. Robert Guzman’s single drove in another run with one out.

Then McCally hit Aaron Rifkin, and McCally’s replacement, Jason Luker, walked Brett Kay. But the Titans’ hopes died on Norris’ ground ball to first.

“[Norris] had a good swing, but he got a little ahead of it,” Titan Coach George Horton said.

Norris said he expected a good pitch to hit after Luker had walked Kay. “I thought I’d get a fastball, but I was probably too anxious on it,” Norris said.

The Cardinal (3-3) took a 9-6 lead in the top of the ninth on a three-run double by Chris O’Riordan off freshman closer Chad Cordero, who gave up consecutive walks with two out. Cordero, the winning pitcher Friday in relief, limited Stanford to one hit in the eighth.

“Cordero might have run out of gas,” Horton said. “We may have stayed with him a little too long. But we’ve got to get deeper into the game with our starting pitching.”

Titan starter Shane Waroff, a transfer from Fullerton College, gave up three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Fullerton (1-2) led, 4-1, after two innings and 6-3 after five before Stanford scored three in the sixth to tie the score.

The Titans hit two bases-empty homers, one by shortstop Mike Rouse and another by David Bacani.