SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton score five times in the first three innings and it proved to be enough as the Titans scored a 6-4 non-conference victory over San Diego Tuesday night at Fowler Park.
Josh Estill went 2-for-4 with a two-run double and Tyler Stieb had an RBI double that proved to be the difference for the Titans (17-14) to score the team's third straight win. The Toreros (17-13) scored three times on five hits in the first inning but managed just one run on five hits in the final eight innings.
Miles Chambers picked up his second win of the season after coming in to pitch in relief in the second inning. He went three and 2/3 innings of scoreless relief despite issuing three walks and four hits. He stuck out one. Maxwell Gibbs pitched two innings of relief and allowed one run and Tyler Peitzmeier picked up his 11th save of the season.
The Titans got things going right away with two runs in the first inning. Dustin Vaught was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and then Josh Vargas laid down a perfect bunt to third base, where Jerod Smith fielded it and then threw it well over first base to allow both runners to get into scoring position.
After Toreros starter Drew Jacobs struck out Estill, the Toreros elected to intentionally walk David Olmedo-Barrera to face third baseman Jerrod Bravo. But Bravo made them pay as he smacked Jacobs' first pitch into left-center for a two-run single to give the Titans a quick 2-0 lead.
It was Bravo's only hit of the game. He has now reached base in 18 straight games.
The lead was short lived as San Diego hammered out five hits in the bottom of the first to score three times and take the 3-2 lead. Ryan Kirby delivered the big hit for the Toreros in the frame, smacking a two-run double to right-center to put the Toreros up after one inning.
The early scoring continued in the second as, after two quick outs, Vaught and Vargas each drew a walk from Jacobs and then Estill cashed them in with a two-run double to deep center field to put the Titans up 4-3.
Vargas finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and reached base for the 14th straight game. He also extended his hitting streak to six games.
The Titans added a run in the third after Jerrod Bravo reached on an error and eventually came around to score on Stieb's two-out double.
The Toreros tried to rally back in the eighth inning as pinch hitter Spencer Dunlap led off with a walk against Gibbs. Peitzmeier then entered the game for the six-out save and struck out the first hitter he faced. But pinch-hitter Aidan Stinnett doubled to put runners on second and third and bring the tying run to the plate.
Pinch-hitter Andrew Solomon hit a sacrifice fly to center field to trim the Titans lead to 6-4 but Peitzmeier got Bryson Brigman to fly out to center to end the frame. Peitzmeier then got the final three outs in order in the ninth on six pitches.
The Titans will continue Big West Conference action when they travel to UC Davis to take on the Aggies for a three-game set.
Notes: The Titans snapped a four-game losing to San Diego. Their last win against the Toreros came on May 24, 2011 at Goodwin Field. It was the Titans first win at San Diego since April 27, 2010… David Olmedo-Barrera went 0-for-2 but reached base for the 15th straight game with two walks.
