Titans Score Late to Beat Aztecs

GAME 4: TITANS 8, SAN DIEGO STATE 6

From GoAztecs.com

SAN DIEGO - The Titans prevail with two late runs in sloppy contest on a night in which the game's first eight runs were scored with only three hits, seventh-ranked Cal State Fullerton used a pair of late tallies to edge San Diego State, 8-6, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Eight of the game's 14 total runs were of the unearned variety as errors and pitching control issues were the story of the evening. The outcome evened both school's early-season record at 2-2.

Aztec freshman Ryan O'Sullivan made his collegiate pitching debut and pitched well overall although the final result left him with a no-decision. In his five innings of work, he allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and three walks.

O'Sullivan retired the first batter he faced to open the game before Christian Colon reached on a fielding error. That seemed affect O'Sullivan's concentration as he walked the ensuing better, Josh Fellhauer, before giving up an RBI double to Jared Clark. Fellhauer then scored on a ground out and the Titans were quickly up 2-0.

San Diego State came back to score four runs in its half of the second, all without the benefit of a base hit. After walks to Cory Vaughn and Josh Chasse were sandwiched around a pair of strikeouts, catcher Matt Parker lofted a routine fly ball to left field that was dropped by outfielder Tyler Pill allowing both runners to score. A hit batter (Pat Colwell) and walk (Mitch Blackburn) loaded the bases. Another walk to Brandon Meredith scored Parker and Colwell later came home on a passed ball. The four unearned runs gave the home side a 4-2 lead.

A pair of walks, a balk and a single gave two of those runs back to Fullerton as the Titans tied the score at 4-4 in the top of the third.

The teams traded runs over the next three frames and the score stood at 6-6 going into the seventh when the visitors took the lead for good as Colon walked, stole second, advance to third on ground out and came home on a wild pitch. That run would make a winner of reliever Travis Kelly (1-0) despite his having given up the tying one an inning earlier. Junior Kegan Sharp (0-1) would be tagged with the loss

Fullerton added an insurance run in the ninth when Fellhauer scored from third on a safety squeeze after he had walked and gone to third on an errant pickoff attempt by Aztec pitcher Andrew Leary.

Titan closer Michael Morrison came on in the bottom of the ninth and retired the side in order to record the save in his first appearance of the season.

SDSU second baseman Mitch Blackburn finished the evening with a pair of hits and two walks while teammate Cory Vaughn had a single, two walks, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.

For the second consecutive game, outfielder Pat Colwell was hit by pitch twice and has now moved into the number-two spot on the SDSU career list with 22 in his two-plus seasons as an Aztec.