FULLERTON, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton used five pitchers to combine for an eight-hit shutout of visiting Pepperdine, 3-0, Tuesday night in a non-conference contest at Goodwin Field.
The Titans (6-5) recorded their fourth consecutive victory, getting 11 strikeouts from their pitching staff compared to just one walk and held the Waves (7-6) to 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base on the night.
Freshman Connor Seabold was brilliant in his first career start, going four scoreless innings and allowing just two hits with one walk while striking out six batters, tying his career high. Willie Kuhl earned the victory as he, Maxwell Gibbs and Henry Omana pitched a combined four innings of scoreless relief, scattering five hits to go with five strikeouts while Tyler Peitzmeier shut the door in the ninth, earning his fourth save of the season.
Offensively, David Olmedo-Barrera and Josh Vargas led the way for the Titans as each player tallied two hits on the night. Josh Estill went 1-for-3 with a double and Jerrod Bravo was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
Tyler Stieb extended his hitting streak to six games after going 1-for-3 on Tuesday with a run scored.
The Titans jumped out in front in the second inning after Bravo got hit by a pitch with one out. He stole second and then made it to third on an infield single by Tristan Hildebrandt, the freshman's first career hit as a Titan. Vargas followed with a single to drive in Bravo and put the Titans ahead 1-0.
In the third inning, Olmedo-Barrera led off the frame with a single to right-center and then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Jake Jefferies then smacked a single through the right side to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Bravo stepped up and chopped a single through the right side to plate Olmedo-Barrera and give Fullerton a 2-0 lead.
Jefferies finished the day 1-for-4 and reached base for the 10th consecutive game.
The Titans added their last run of the night in the fourth inning as Stieb reached on a single and advanced to second base on a throwing error. Olmedo-Barrera followed with an RBI single to put the Titans up 3-0 and the pitching did the rest.
Fullerton did get some good defense along with stellar pitching, particularly in the seventh inning. After Gibbs struck out the first two hitters of the inning, Matt Gelalich singled and then Brandon Caruso followed with a double to put runners in scoring position for the Waves. Hutton Moyer, who came into Tuesday's game with a .317 batting average and four home runs, stepped up and hit a flyball to right field. Titans outfielder Scott Hurst tracked the ball but then slipped and fell to one knee. The freshman recovered just in time to reach up over his head and make a miraculous catch to save three runs and end the threat.
The Titans will return to Goodwin Field and look to continue their winning streak when they face No. 5 Texas Tech on Friday night.
Notes: Vargas has now reached base in 10 straight games… Olmedo-Barrera recorded his third multi-hit game of the season… The Titans are now 58-41 all-time against the Waves and are 297-103-3 against teams currently in the West Coast Conference... Tuesday night was Fullerton's first shutout victory of the season.
