Rouse Powers the Titans

It takes something special to overshadow Cal State Fullerton pitcher Kirk Saarloos, but teammate Mike Rouse provided it Friday night.

Rouse blasted three consecutive home runs, including two in Fullerton’s eight-run second inning, to lead the Titans to a 13-2 victory over Mississippi State in the opener of a best-of-three super-regional series in front of a record Goodwin Field crowd of 3,412 at Fullerton.

Saarloos (15-2) won his 15th consecutive decision, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out nine and walking one in seven innings.

Fullerton (45-16) can clinch its 11th trip to the College World Series with a victory over the Bulldogs (39-23) tonight. Two freshmen are the scheduled starters. Paul Maholm (8-4) is set to start for the Bulldogs against the Titans’ Darric Merrell (6-4). A third game, if necessary, would be played at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Rouse also had a two-run double in the seventh and finished the game with seven runs batted in. Rouse and Chris Stringfellow each were four for five.

“I’ve never had three homers in a game, never in my life,” Rouse said. “I felt really comfortable at the plate and saw the ball really good. I tried to watch everyone in front of me before I batted.”

Saarloos said Rouse and the other Titan batters made it easy for him.

“When you get up 8-0, you just try to throw strikes,” Saarloos said. “I was able to stay down in the zone and the sinker was working. It was really fun to pitch in front of this crowd.”

Rouse led off the second with a towering drive over the wall in center field off starter Tanner Brock, igniting the biggest inning against the Bulldogs this season.

Stringfellow reached on an infield hit and moved to second on a sacrifice. Brock walked Shawn Norris and a single by David Bacani and a double by Robert Guzman produced two more runs.

Brock walked Jason Corapci, then hit Aaron Rifkin, forcing in a run. Guzman scored on Brett Kay’s sacrifice fly for a 5-0 Titan lead. Rouse’s second homer of the inning was a three-run shot to right center, sending Brock to the sidelines. Stringfellow doubled for his second hit of the inning off reliever Jonathan Papelbon, but Papelbon got an infield out to end the inning.

Fullerton picked up another run in the third for a 9-0 lead when Bacani ripped a one-out stand-up triple to right and scored on Guzman’s single.

Rouse brought the Goodwin Field crowd to its feet again with his third homer, this one off Papelbon to left with one out in the fourth.

Saarloos gave up a looping one-out single to Phillip Willingham in the first, but struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

Saarloos went on to retire 10 consecutive batters before hitting Casey Long, the first batter in the sixth.