SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.--- Timmy Richards blasted his second home run of the year and collected a season-high tying three hits, but it wasn't enough as eighth-ranked Fullerton dropped the series finale at Cal Poly, 8-4, Sunday afternoon out at Baggett Stadium.
For Fullerton (24-14, 6-3 Big West), the loss clinches just its second series loss of the season and its first in Big West play. The Titans have now dropped three straight series to the Mustangs. Fullerton notched its first three-homer game since May 8, 2016 at UC Riverside, as Richards, Niko Pacheco and Dillon Persinger all went yard.
Richards led the way offensively collecting his three hits, homer, two RBI and a run scored. Sahid Valenzuela was the only other Titan to collect a multi-hit game, going 2-of-5 from the dish. Pacheco walked twice in addition to his homer, while Persinger walked once.
Chris Hudgins recorded a knock and scored a run.
Starter Gavin Velasquez (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season, surrendering six earned runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out two. Cal Poly's (18-20, 8-4 Big West) Spencer Howard (3-1) earned the win.
The Titans struck first, as Richards launched his second home run of the year to dead center with two outs, putting Fullerton on top 1-0.
Cal Poly wasted no time tying things up, as Alex McKenna recorded a leadoff jack to left center to make it a 1-1 ballgame.
The Mustangs piled on five more runs in the second, as five consecutive batters reached base to go along with three doubles.
Fullerton started to chip away in the third, as Richards drove in his second run of the game, lacing a two out single through the left side to make it a 6-2 ballgame, after Valenzuela and Hudgins recorded knocks earlier in the frame.
The Titans struck back with two more in the in fourth after Dillon Persinger (2) and Niko Pacheco (1) launched back-to-back home runs to begin the fourth to make it just a 6-4 deficit. It marked the second time the Titans had launched consecutive homers on the year.
However that's as close as Fullerton would get, as Cal Poly collected three knocks in the fifth to score a run, after Scott Orgin knocked one through the left side to make it 7-4.
The Mustangs tacked on one more in the eighth. Cal Poly's first two batters reached via hit by pitch and a single receptively. Fullerton nearly got out of a jam, as Brett Conine retired the next two batters, but Josh George reached on a ball that should have been a 3-1 putout, but Conine just missed touching the bag with his foot, resulting in the runner scoring from second and everyone being safe.
The Titans will get back to work this weekend, as they welcome UC Irvine in for a three-game set, beginning Friday at 7 pm PT.
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