Cal State Fullerton pounds baseball Rainbows, 13-6
Advertiser Staff
Cal State Fullerton rolled up 17 hits — eight for extra bases — to roll over Hawai‘i, 13-6, today to clinch the three-game series at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, Calif.
Nick Ramirez and Christian Colon combined for five RBI, each getting three hits, including solo home runs for the Titans.
The Rainbows will try to avoid a sweep at 10 a.m., Hawai‘i time, tomorrow.
Kyle Mertens (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Titans (12-10).
Jesse Moore (0-1) allowed three runs in in two-plus innings for the Rainbows (12-11).
Neither starter figured in the decision. Hawai‘i’s Sam Spangler allowed four run in 2 1/3 innings, while CSUF’s Daniel Renken allowed six (four earned) in five-plus innings.
Hawai‘i sent nine batters up in a four-run third. Greg Garcia led off with a double to right, went to third when Kolten Wong grounded out to first and scored on David Freitas’ single to right. Collin Bennett was hit by a pitch and Kevin Macdonald walked to load the bases. Pi‘ikea Kitamura reached on the third baseman’s two-base fielding error, allowing two runs to score and Macdonald to take third. Christian Johnson walked to load the bases. Sean Montplaisir struck out. Renken’s errant pick-off throw to first advanced the runners, increasing UH’s lead to 4-0 before Matt Roquemore grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Titans tied it in the bottom of the third in chasing Spangler. Walker Moore led off with a walk, stole second and scored on Colon’s double to left-center. Gary Brown poppled out to short. Lopez walked and a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position to set up Tyler Pill’s ground-rule double to right-center to pull the Titans to 4-3. Spangler was pulled for Connor Little. As passed ball allowed Pill to take third, where he scored on Corey Jones’ single to tie the game at 4.
The Titans took the lead in the fourth. Ramirez led off with a double, went ot third on a wild pitch and scored wehn Joey Siddons grounded out to short to give the Titans a 5-4 lead. An out later, Colon homered to left to make it 6-4.
The Rainbows tied it in the sixth in chasing Renken. Roquemore led off with a double and went to third on Garica’s single to left. Renken was pulled for Kevin Rath, who walked Kolten Wong. to load the bases. Kyle Mertens replaced Rath and gave up a two-run single to Freitas to tie the game at 6.
The Titans regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth on Nick Ramirez’s one out, solo home run to right to make it 7-6.
The Titans sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run seventh to take a commanding 13-6 lead. Colon led off with a double off Jesse Moore and wen to thrid on Brown’s single. Moore was pulled for Blair Walters. Brown stole second and Lopez’s RBI single moved Brown to third. Pill’s sacrifice fly to left make it 9-6. Jones singled to left as Lopez stopped at second. Marcoe’s RBI single moved Jones to third. Marcoe stole second. Ramirez’s two-run double make it 12-6. Walters was lifted for Harrison Kuroda. Ramirez went to third wehn Siddons grounded out to short. Moore’s single scored Ramirez.