March 9, 2008

Box Score

FULLERTON, Calif. - No. 26 Cal State Fullerton pounds out 22 hits and 19 runs in the final game of the series to sweep the Golden Eagles winning,19-6 in front of 2,153 fans at Goodwin Field on the campus of Cal State Fullerton.

"Fullerton just outplayed us all weekend," head coach Corky Palmer said. "We swung the bats better but did not get the pitching we have been getting earlier this season".

Fullerton used big innings of five runs twice and seven runs to over power Southern Miss on a beautiful afternoon in southern California.

Southern Miss (6-6) fell behind 5-1 early, but Anthony Doss hit his first career homerun to tie the game in the sixth inning, unfortunately for the Golden Eagles that is as close as they would get to Cal State, as they were outscored 14-1 after tying the game.

"After Doss hit the homerun we were right back in the game, We had our main middle reliever in the game (Weathers) and they just hit him," Palmer added.

Keith Winstead and Trey Sutton led Southern Miss at the plate, each collecting three hits. Winstead had three doubles and Sutton collected two singles and a solo homerun.

Wade Weathers (0-1) took the loss for Southern Miss allowing five runs and six hits in one-and two-thirds.

For the second consecutive game in the series the Golden Eagles struck first, today in the top of the third inning. Josh Fields walked to lead off the inning and went to third on James Ewing's line drive single to right field. Fields came in to score the first run of the game on Trey Sutton's RBI single to right field.

As Cal State Fullerton (8-4) has done the whole series, when Southern Miss scores they have answered. This time with a five run wacky bottom of the third inning. Jeff Newman drew a walk to start the inning, leadoff hitter Gary Brown laid down a sacrifice bunt that Josh Fields threw into the runner allowing Newman to scamper to third and Brown took an uncovered second base. Christian Colon was hit by a Billeaud off speed pitch to load the bases.

Center fielder Josh Fellhauer, drew a bases-loaded walk to score another run in this series without the benefit of a hit. Erik Komatsu followed with hit a deep fly ball that Michael Ewing barely got a glove against the right field wall but could not corral, allowing two runs to score. Making the inning even crazier, Komatsu was called out on the play as he rounded first base he made contact with the Cal State Fullerton first base coach, which is an automatic out.

Still in the third, first baseman Jared Clark singled to left field scoring Fellhauer from second base. A sacrifice bunt and a stolen base moved Clark to third base and a walk to Joel Weeks put runners at first and third. Weeks broke from first and stayed in a run down long enough to allow Clark to score from third for the fifth run of the inning.

Southern Miss was able to add their second run of the game in the top of the fifth as Trey Sutton hit what appeared to be a routine fly ball to left field but the ball was able to get up into a stiff breeze and continued to carry over the left field wall for Sutton's first home run of the year.

The Golden Eagles fought back to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning. Michael Ewing walked to lead off the inning and Keith Winstead followed with his third double of the series, to the wall in left-center field, scoring Ewing from first base. Anthony Doss followed with his first career home run, a towering shot to deep right field to tie the game at five.

Fullerton answered the Golden Eagles again in the bottom of the sixth inning to retake the lead off reliever Wade Weathers. Catcher Billy Marcoe led off the inning with a single and pinch-hitter Khris Davis drew a walk. Christian Colon hit a soft single to center field scoring Marcoe from second. Josh Fellhauer followed with a soft double down the left field line plating Davis. Right fielder Erik Komatsu followed with a deep blast three-run home run to right field to complete second five run inning of the game for the Titans, and a 10-5 lead.

Southern Miss continued to swing the bat in the seventh inning as Kyle Maxie doubled to right-center field to lead off the inning and Keith Winstead hit his third consecutive double to allow Maie to score from second, making the score 10-6.

Once again after Southern Miss scored, Cal State Fullerton answered in their very next at bat. Jeff Newman led off the inning with a single and Khris Davis attemted to sacrifice himself to advance the runner but perfectly placed bunt down the third baseline that Josh Fields could not handle gave him an infield single. Jon Wihite entered the game as a pinch hitter and tripled off the right field wall scoring Newman and Davis. Fellhauer doubled to right-center field scoring Wilhite and Komatsu walked to end the day for JR Ballanger.

New Southern Miss pitcher Collin Cargill was greeted by Jared Clark who took his first offering deep over the right field wall for a three run homerun. Davis added his second single of the innings, this time picking up an RBI and capping the seven run frame, making the score 17-6

Cal State Fullerton continued at add runs in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Matthew Fahey and an RBI single by Joel Weeks, expanding the Cal State lead to 19-6.

Southern Miss will conclude the current eight game road trip Wednesday at the University of New Orleans.

"We have to regroup now and get ready to play at UNO this week," Palmer said.

-southernmiss.com-