June 1, 2007
San Diego, Calif. - Evan McArthur and Josh Fellhauer each hit a 2-run home run in a 5-run fourth inning Friday afternoon to back the 7-hit complete game effort of Wes Roemer and Cal State Fullerton coasted to a 7-1 victory over Minnesota in the opening game of the NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament in San Diego.
The Titans advance to the winner's bracket for an 8 p.m. game Saturday to face the winner of tonight's San Diego-Fresno State game. Fullerton is now 34-23 on the season while Minnesota falls to 40-17 and plays tomorrow at 4 p.m. in an elimination game.
Roemer struck out seven in his sixth complete game of the year to improve to 10-6. A solo home run by Dan Lyons in the fifth inning spoiled his shutout bid. He pitched around two singles in the first inning and got out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the second and was in command the rest of the way, facing only three men over the minimum over the final seven innings.
Fellhauer singled home Joe Scott with the game's first run in the third inning and then capped the fourth-inning outburst when he hit the first pitch from reliever Bill Johnson high over the right-field wall to make it 6-0. Golden Gophers' starter Tom Buske (5-2) walked Matt Wallach with one out in the fourth and McArthur hit his fourth homer of the year to make it 3-0. Corey Jones then hit a line drive that bounced off Buske's right knee all the way into the right-field corner for a triple. Buske went down in a heap but then recovered and stayed in the game. Jones was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice grounder by Scott but Scott then stole second and scored on a single by Clark Hardman that chased Buske. Fellhauer's homer was his third of the year and second in two games.
A double by Chris Jones, a wild pitch and Wallach's sacrifice fly produced the game's final run in the eighth.
Fullerton made two errors behind Roemer in the late innings but each time turned a double play to negate the threat.
The win continues Fullerton's 29-tournament streak of winning at least one game in every NCAA Regional appearance. The Titans last lost their opening game in 2002 at Stanford.