April 12, 2008

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - Cal State Northridge's Phil Hann held No. 16 Cal State Fullerton to two runs over seven innings as the Matadors scored all their runs with two outs and upset the Titans 4-2 in a Big West Conference baseball game at Goodwin Field Saturday night.

With the win, Cal State Nortridge snaps a 16-game losing streak to Cal State Fullerton and improves to 14-15 overall and 4-4 in league. Fullerton drops to 19-12, 5-3. The Titans are now 2-6 on Saturdays.

The Northridge right-hander, Hann, gave up RBI-extra base hits to Joel Weeks (double) and Gary Brown (triple) in the bottom o f the second, but then settled down and allowed just four more hits over his last five innings to improve to 2-3.

Daniel Renken (3-2) allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out five and was hit with the loss as the Titans were unable to break through offensively against Hann and reliever Edwin Quirarte. Quirarte set down the six Titans he faced in order to pick up his fourth save of the year.

Richard Cates drove home Northridge's first run of the series with a single to center, driving home TS Reed who walked and was sacrificed to second in the first inning. Reed later tripled then scored on a John Parham single to tie the game at 2-2 in the third.

Chris Hannick's two-out single back up the middle drove home the decisive run in the top of the sixth, scoring Cates who was at second after a single and a Renken wild pitch. An inning later, Billy Swanson singled, stole second and advance to third on catcher Dustin Garneau's throwing error to set up Parham's second hit of the night. Parham came through with a single to center, plating Swanson with the insurance run.

Weeks, Corey Jones and Gary Brown accounted for six of the Titans' seven hits on the night, with eavh of them collecting two apiece. Reed, Parham and Cates had two each as well for the Matadors.

Adam Jorgenson pitched two innings of one-hit relief for Fullerton, fanning three Northridge hitters.

The two teams will meet up on Sunday for the rubber-match of the three-game series. Game time is 1 p.m.