FULLERTON, Calif.--- The Titans earned one of their biggest wins of the year, as they blanked 12th ranked Arizona 4-0 en route to their fourth straight win, Wednesday night out at Goodwin Field.
For Fullerton (11-5), it now it improves to 3-1 over ranked opponents this season after blanking the defending national runners up. The win also goes down as the highest ranked team the Titans have defeated since taking down No. 6 Louisville on June 8, 2015 in NCAA Super Regional play. The win also marks Fullerton's third shutout of the year and its ninth victory over its last 11 contests.
Maxwell Gibbs (1-1) earned his first win of the season after pitching 2.0 innings of shutout baseball and struck out two in what was a staff start. Dillon Brown started game and gave the Titans 3.0 shutout innings. Blake Workman continued his spectacular play, as he gave Fullerton 3.0 innings and give strikeouts, while Brett Conine closed things out with an inning of scoreless relief.
Offensively, Hunter Cullen continued to take advantage of his increased playing time, recording two hits and a couple of RBI in three plate appearances. Chris Hudgins also went 2-of-2 at the dish with two runs scored. Timmy Richards and Scott Hurst each picked up knocks and RBIs respectively. Dillon Persinger also went 1-of-4 with a run scored in his first career start at first base.
Arizona (13-3) was held to just three knocks, which goes down as the least amount of hits for a Fullerton opponenet this season.
The Titans recorded their first run in the bottom half of the third, as Hudgins led the frame off with a double to left field, Cullen then reached on an error to put runners at the corners before Richards blasted a single to left field to put Fullerton up 1-0.
In the fourth, the Titans continued to keep the pressure on, as Chris Prescott reached on an infield single and then advanced to second after a Hudgins ground out. Cullen then came through, as he has been of late, lifting a single to left field to score Prescott and make it a 2-0 Titan lead.
Small ball was the choice of play once again in the seventh, as Persinger singled up the middle, then stole second before Richards grounded out to advance Persinger to third. Hurst then generated Fullerton's third run, shooting a sharp liner to left field that Persinger smartly read and tagged home on.
With the Titans already up 3-0, they tacked on one more in the eighth, as Cullen ripped a two-out single to center to score Hudgins from second who reached via hit-by-pitch.
The Titans kept the Wildcats off balance all night, as they swiped a season-high four bags en route to the victory.
Fullerton now closes out the homestand welcoming in New Mexico for a three-game series beginning on Friday at 7 pm PT out at Goodwin Field.
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