LONG BEACH, Calif. - It was a game of inches Saturday afternoon as Cal State Fullerton went ahead on a bases loaded walk in extra innings and it proved to be the difference in a 2-1 non-conference victory over Long Beach State in 10 innings at Blair Field.
Catcher A.J. Kennedy walked three times on Saturday for the Titans (11-10) and none proved more critical than his last free pass of the game. With the Titans and Dirtbags (11-8) deadlocked at 1-1 in the 10th inning, Kennedy stepped in with one out and the bases loaded. He fell behind 0-2 in the count against Dirtbags closer Ty Provencher, but Kennedy stayed patient and took three straight borderline pitches that were called balls, including ball four with a bunt play on and Dalton Blaser breaking for home.
The run proved to be the difference as closer Tyler Peitzmeier earned his seventh save of the season, but not without some drama. Peitzmeier gave up a lead-off single to catcher Eric Hutting in the 10th. Peitzmeier got Joey Sanchez to pop up a sacrifice bunt attempt for the first out but then first baseman Jonathan Serven worked a great at-bat and turned it into a single to right field to put the tying run in scoring position. Shortstop Garrett Hampson stepped up and hit a cue shot to second where Taylor Bryant fielded it and got the out at first for the second out. With runners on second and third, Peitzmeier got Zack Domingues to hit a sharp come-backer to the mound for the last out of the game and help preserve the win for the Titans.
Maxwell Gibbs got the victory for the Titans after pitching two innings of masterful relief. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out a career-high five batters. In the ninth inning, the game-winning run was at third base thanks to a leadoff single and two wild pitches but Gibbs struck out the side, including Friday night hero Chris Mathewson looking.
The Titans took the lead in the third inning after Timmy Richards led off the frame with a single. Tyler Stieb then stepped in and laid down a sacrifice bunt, which third baseman Nico Maida fielded and promptly through wide of first, allowing Stieb to reach and Richards to scamper all the way to third. Scott Hurst then came up and hit into a double play to the second baseman but Richards was able to score to give the Titans a 1-0 lead.
Richards finished 1-for-5 with a run scored while Stieb was 2-for-4 on the day. Hurst was 1-for-4.
Garza held the lead for four and 1/3 innings, retiring 11 straight to start the game and facing the minimum through the first 13 outs. But the Dirtbags tagged up Garza for the game-tying run in the fifth after Alex Bishop hit a one-out single. Maida followed with a single of his own to put runners on the corners with one out. Garza struck out catcher Eric Hutting for the second out but freshman Tristan Mercadel worked the count to 2-0 and then sliced a double down the left-field line to plate Bishop and tie the game 1-1.
It would be the only run Garza gave up on the afternoon as the right-hander went seven innings and allowed six hits. He struck out four without issuing a walk en route to a no-decision.
The teams will meet Sunday to decide the series as the Titans send left-hander John Gavin to the mound while the Dirtbags counter with Mathewson, who is 1-2 with a 2.65 ERA including a combined no-hitter. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Notes: The top five hitters in the Titans batting order (Stieb, Hurst, Josh Estill, David Olmedo Barrera, Dalton Blaser) combined to get seven of the team's nine hits on the day and went 7-for-20 (.300) on the day… Peitzmeier is perfect in save opportunities this season and was 14th in the nation with six saves before this weekend series… Fullerton is now 1-2 in extra-inning games this season. In 2014, the Titans played in 11 extra-inning games and were 5-6, playing 36 full innings or the equivalent of four games… The Titans left 13 men on base Saturday including at least one man on in eight of the 10 innings. They have left 27 men on base in two games.
