FULLERTON, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton won its seventh consecutive game, completing a sweep of No. 5 Texas Tech, 6-5, Sunday afternoon at Goodwin Field.
The Titans (9-5) took advantage of nine walks by the Red Raiders (10-4) pitching staff and scored the victory despite getting outhit for the second consecutive game.
Freshman John Gavin picked up his second victory of the season, going five innings and allowing one earned run on three hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Connor Seabold, Maxwell Gibbs and Henry Omana made appearances in relief and Tyler Peitzmeier picked up his sixth save in as many opportunities, pitching a scoreless ninth inning allowing one hit and striking out two.
Jake Jefferies went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, extending his team-best hitting streak to seven games.
Tyler Stieb was 1-for-4 on the day and drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run in the seventh inning. Jerrod Bravo led off the frame with a walk, stole second and, with two outs, Stieb stepped up and placed a single through the right side of the infield to bring in Bravo and give the Titans a 6-1 lead.
Fullerton needed that run as Ryan Long launched a grand slam in the eighth inning for the Red Raiders, trimming the lead to 6-5.
But Omana got catcher Tyler Floyd to foul out to the catcher to end the inning and then Peitzmeier closed it out in the ninth.
The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to three hits, a walk and a hit batter. Jefferies, David Olmedo-Barrera and Bravo each belted singles to load the bases to start the frame. After a lineout to short, Red Raiders starter Dylan Dusek walked Timmy Richards on four pitches and Dusek's day was done.
Reliever Parker Mushinski came in and then pelted Tyler Stieb with a pitch to bring in the second Titans run.
Fullerton padded their lead in the fourth inning, grinding out three runs without the benefit of a hit as the Titans drew four walks and capitalizing on a hit batter and an error.
Texas Tech scored a run in the fifth on an RBI double by Floyd in the fifth to plate Bryant Burleson, who led off the inning with a single.
The Titans will wrap up their season-long 12-game home stand when they welcome San Diego to Goodwin Field on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Notes: Prior to the game, the Titans honored the 20th anniversary of the 1995 NCAA Championship team. Tony Miranda, Tim Dixon, Jon Ward, Brian Loyd and Tony Martinez threw out the ceremonial first pitch and other members that attended included John Mitchell, Robert Matos, Ryan Jara, Joe Fraser, Mike Lamb, Mark Chavez, Scott Hild, Mike Greenlee, Nakia Hill, Mike Wright, DC Olsen and Sergio Brown...The Titans are now 6-0 against teams from the Big-12 this season after sweeping the Red Raiders. They are also 4-0 against teams ranked in the Baseball America Top-25… Jefferies has reached base in 13 consecutive games… Richards walked two times on Sunday and has now reached base in 12 straight games.
