Titans Show Strength, 13-3

Top-seeded Cal State Fullerton advanced to the championship round of its NCAA regional unbeaten, and Coach George Horton had plenty of players to thank after a 13-3 victory over Arizona State Saturday.

Starting pitcher Kirk Saarloos (14-2) went 6 1/3 innings to win his 14th consecutive decision, and closer Chad Cordero held Arizona State without a hit in the final 2 2/3 innings for his 13th save. Saarloos gave up four hits and walked two.

The Titans battered three Sun Devil pitchers for 13 hits, and Louie Lamoure, Brett Kay and Shawn Norris each homered, producing seven of the runs. David Bacani and Aaron Rifkin had two-run singles.

Fullerton (43-15) will meet the winner of a late Saturday night elimination game between Arizona State and Texas Tech this afternoon at 1 at Goodwin Field.

Fullerton, the nation’s No. 1-seeded team, can secure the regional championship and a trip to a super regional next week. If the Titans lose, there will be a second game 45 minutes later.

“We’re in a good position, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Horton said. “This felt like a 5-4 game to me. We didn’t relax until we got the final out.”

With Fullerton leading, 6-2, the Sun Devils loaded the bases against Saarloos in the sixth with none out, but Saarloos got out of the inning without giving up a run.

Chris Duffy, the leadoff batter, reached base on an infield hit before Saarloos walked Casey Myers and hit Rod Allen. But Saarloos struck out Brooks Conrad on a change-up, then started an inning-ending double play when he grabbed Mike Lopez’s comebacker and threw to catcher Kay, who completed the double play on a throw to first.

“I thought that was the game right there,” Kay said. “That strikeout and the double play had to be a heartbreaker for them.”

The Titans then scored four runs in the eighth

Fullerton loaded the bases against Arizona State relief pitcher Andy Torres before Bacani’s single drove in two runs. The Titans got two more runs on a two-run hit by Rifkin.

Texas Tech 14, Temple 3--The Red Raiders eliminated the Owls in a losers’ bracket game. Cory Metzler (6-3) pitched a complete game for Texas Tech, giving up nine hits, striking out five and walking two. Texas Tech had 17 hits.