Fullerton Batters Batter Arizona State

Top-seeded Cal State Fullerton advanced unbeaten into the championship round of the NCAA regional it is hosting, and Coach George Horton had plenty of players to thank after a 13-3 victory over Arizona State Saturday in front of a Goodwin Field-record crowd of 3,338.

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 of the season. Saarloos gave up four hits and walked two.

The Titans pounded 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 elimination game between Arizona State and Texas Tech today at 1 p.m.

Fullerton, the nation’s No. 1-seeded team, can wrap up the championship with a victory and advance to a super regional. 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, then started an inning-ending double play when he grabbed Mike Lopez’s comebacker and threw to the plate. Catcher Kay completed the double play.

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

Pitching coach Dave Serrano visited Saarloos on the mound during the sixth. “He just said, ‘I want to get this guy out,’ and I could tell he was confident,” Serrano said.

Saarloos, however, said he probably was starting to tire. “But I had put those three guys on, and I didn’t want to come off with them still on base,” Saarloos said.

Saarloos also retired the first batter in the seventh on a ground ball back to the mound, but Jeff Phelps homered to right-center to cut Fullerton’s lead to 6-3.

After that, the Titans went to Cordero. He gave up a walk, but struck out four of the next seven batters.

The Titans came back strong with four runs in the eighth to build their lead to 10-3.

Fullerton loaded the bases against Arizona State reliever Andy Torres on an infield hit by Chris Stringfellow, a bunt single by Shane Costa and a walk to Norris before Bacani’s single drove in two runs. The Titans got two more runs in the inning on a hit by Rifkin.

Norris provided the finishing touch for the Titans with a three-run homer in the ninth. It was Norris’ second three-run homer in two games.

Lamoure blasted a two-run homer to left in the fourth to give Fullerton a 4-1 lead and Kay delivered a two-run shot in the fifth to make it 6-1.

That ended the day for Arizona State starter Jon Switzer (5-6), who gave up six hits and six runs.

Horton said he plans to start freshman Darric Merrell (6-4) today. Cordero said he expects to be ready to pitch again if needed. Saarloos said he thinks he could also pitch in relief if needed.

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