RIVERSIDE, Calif.--- Scott Hurst collected a career-high tying four hits and fell just a double short of the cycle, while Fullerton's 1-2-3 hitters went a combined 11-of-18 from the plate with seven runs scored and six driven in, as the Titans rolled past UC Riverside, 15-2 to claim the series win, Sunday out at the Riverside Sports Complex.
For Fullerton (17-10, 2-1), the win clinches its fifth weekend series victory this season (5-1-1), while the 15 runs are the most its scored since defeating UC Santa Barbara 18-2 on May 14, 2016. The 13-run margin of victory is also the most since that game.
Hurst led the way for the Titans, going 4-of-7 from the plate with three RBI, two runs scored with an inside the park home run and a triple. The inside the parker was the first a Titan had recorded since Anthony Hutting hustled around for one on March 1, 2013.
Timmy Richards collected a season-high three hits, going 3-of-4 from the dish with a season-best three RBI, a run scored and a walk. His on-base streak is now at 19 straight games, while his hit streak stands at nine games in a row.
Sahid Valenzuela stayed hot, as he was 3-of-5 with three hits and a career-high three runs scored out of the two hole. Hunter Cullen notched two hits, going 2-of-5 from the plate, while driving in two and scoring one. He's now 13-of-25 when hitting with two outs this season.
Seven different Titans drove in runs in the game, while five of them recorded multi-RBI games.
Starter John Gavin pitched 4.1 innings, surrendered two runs on six hits, a career-high five walks and four strikeouts. Blake Workman (3-1) earned his third win of the season, tossing 1.2 innings of shutout baseball, while allowing just one hit and striking out three.
Richard Delgado (0-1) took the loss for UC Riverside (12-11, 1-2 Big West), as he went 4.0 innings, surrendered seven hits and four earned runs while walking four.
Overall the Titans forced UCR to use eight different pitchers to get through the game and the damage could have been a lot worse as Fullerton still left 14 on base.
Fullerton struck first for the third consecutive game, scoring two runs on a three-hit two-out rally in the first. Richards singled through the right side, Taylor Bryant then recorded one of his game-high three walks to put runners at first and second. Cullen then came through, as he always seems to do with two outs, with an RBI single to center to score one. Dillon Persinger followed that up with a single of his own through the right side to score another and make it a 2-0 Titan advantage.
UC Riverside was then denied in the bottom of the first after loading the bases with no one out, as Gavin wiggled out of trouble.
However, the Highlanders made it seem like it would be another close affair, as they put a two spot up of their own in the bottom of the third, as Connor Cannon took advantage of two walks and singled through the left side to score one with one out. Cade Peters then provided a single to center field to tie things up at 2-2 heading to the fourth.
Just a half inning later, the Titans responded right back, as Hurst earned his third home run of the season, but he had to hustle to do it, as he recorded an inside the park homer after hitting a rocket off the center field fence to make it a 3-2 Titan lead.
Valenzuela then reached in an infield single, but didn't say on the base paths for long, as Richards sent a rocket down the right field line for an RBI triple to score Valenzuela and put the Titans up 4-2.
The Highlanders had one more shot to get back in the game before the hit barrage really started for Fullerton, as UCR loaded the bases with one out against Gavin, but Workman came in and got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. UCR left 10 men on base on the day.
The Titans then blew the game open in the sixth, as they put up a four spot, scoring four runs on just two hits in the frame. They were aided by two walks and a hit by pitch. In fact no runs scored on a hit in the inning.
With Fullerton already leading 8-2 in the seventh, Richards added to his total, lacing a two-RBI single through the left side to bring home Hurst and Valenzuela who each reached on singles and then advanced to second and third via a wild pitch.
Up 10-2, the Titans added insult to injury in the ninth, as Fullerton put up just its third five-spot of the season, as Cullen, Jake Pavletich and Hurst all picked up RBI in the inning. Pavletich and Hurst each recorded two. Overall the Titan score five runs off of three hits and an error in the inning to bring the final to 15-2.
Fullerton now takes a short break from conference play, as it'll welcome San Diego to Goodwin Field on Tuesday for a 6 pm PT first pitch.
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