WACO, Texas – No. 4 Cal State Fullerton left eight men on base, including the possible tying run in the ninth inning as they dropped a 5-4 decision to Baylor Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.
It was the first series loss for the Titans (8-5) this season and the first time they have dropped a series to Baylor (8-7).
Keegan Dale was 1-for-3 and walked to lead off the ninth inning with the Titans trailing 5-4. He would go on to steal second to get into scoring position but the Titans could not pick him up to extend the game as Bears pitcher Josh Michalec recorded his second consecutive save and sixth of the year.
Matt Chapman was 2-for-5, picking up his fifth double of the season to go along with a pair of RBIs and Greg Velazquez was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Pitcher Grahamm Wiest went seven innings for the Titans and took the loss. He allowed five runs, just two earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out six. Wiest retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced on the afternoon.
For the Bears, pitcher Austin Stone picked up his second win of the year after allowing two runs on five hits in six innings of work. He walked two and struck out three.
The Titans got on the board in the first inning for the second time in the series. Austin Diemer led off the game with an infield single to short. Two outs later, J.D. Davis had an infield hit of his own to short and the Titans had runners at the corners. Clay Williamson came up and hit a slow roller to second that Lawton Langford could not handle and Diemer came in to score on the error. Velazquez then came up and lined a single into center field to bring in Davis and the Titans had a quick 2-0 lead after one.
But the Bears got one back in the second inning and then erupted for four runs in their half of the third inning to take the lead. Langford drew a one-out walk and then Sheppard reached on an error at third base. Adam Toth singled to right to load the bases and then Grayson Porter doubled to left to give the Bears a 3-2 lead. Aaron Dodson followed with an RBI groundout to first and then Matt Menard capped off the inning with an RBI single to plate Porter and give the hosts the 5-2 edge.
The Titans got a couple of runs back in the seventh off Bears releiver Daniel Castano. Dale led off with a bunt single just past the pitcher's mound and then Castano nailed Diemer in the back to put the first two men on base. A.J. Kennedy came in to pinch-hit and moved the runners into scoring position and Chapman cashed them in with a single up the middle to make it a 5-4 deficit for the Titans, but that would be the last time the Titans scored.
The Titans will return to action Tuesday when they travel to San Diego to take on the Toreros. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Notes: The Bears four-run second inning was the biggest inning of a Titans opponent this season… Chapman extended his on-base streak to 13 games after collecting two hits on Sunday afternoon… David Olmedo-Barrera got his first start of the season for the Titans and went 1-for-3 on the day… Tyler Peitzmeier relieved Wiest in the eighth inning and retired the only batter he faced.