June 9, 2007
FULLERTON, CA - Cal State Fullerton had four players with two or more hits and the host Titans scored at least one run in five of the first six innings as they cruised to a 12-2 victory over UCLA in the opening game of the 2007 NCAA Super Regionals on Saturday evening at Goodwin Field in front of 3,394 fans.
Fullerton won its fourth-straight contest and improved to 37-23 overall on the season, needing just one more victory over the next two days to advance to its 15th College World Series. UCLA fell to 33-27 overall in its first appearance in a super regional round since 2000.
Junior right-hander Wes Roemer (11-6) pitched his third-consecutive complete-game in the win, allowing just two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven on the day, moving him past Kirk Saarloos (1998-2001) for second place on the school's all-time list and to within six strikeouts of Adam Johnson's career record of 365 set from 1998-2000.
UCLA starter Tyson Brummett (10-6), who beat the Titans earlier this year with a complete-game five-hitter at Goodwin Field on Feb. 23, suffered the loss, allowing nine runs on eight hits, walking four and striking out two in just 4 1/3 innings. He was followed by three Bruins' relievers, who combined to hold Fullerton to three runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Senior Evan McArthur led the hit parade for the Titans, finishing 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, three runs scored, and three RBI. Freshman Josh Fellhauer (2-for-5), senior John Curtis (3-for-5), and sophomore Chris Jones (2-for-5) also finished with multiple hits on the afternoon as Fullerton banged out 12 hits - the Titans' third straight outing with double-digit hits and their fifth in their last six games.
Seven of the Titans' first eight runs were scored with two outs as they went 9-for-17 (.529) at the plate with two down.
Chris Jones got the scoring started in the top of the first as Nick Mahin walked and Curtis singled to put a pair on for the sophomore, who blooped a single to center to plate Mahin for the 1-0 lead. After Matt Wallach was hit by a pitch to load the bases, McArthur laced a single to left to plate two more and give the Titans the 3-0 advantage.
UCLA got one of the runs back in its half of the first as three straight hits to lead-off the inning plated the Bruins' first run. Brandon Crawford, who finished with two hits, was responsible for the run as his single to left field plated Jermaine Curtis to cut UCLA's deficit to 3-1.
It was then that Fullerton's offense opened the floodgates, plating a pair in the second inning on run-scoring hits by Curtis and Chris Jones and adding another in the third on a sacrifice fly by Clark Hardman for the 6-1 lead.
After an RBI double by McArthur in the fifth, Fellhauer then added the exclamation point, lacing a two-run triple to the gap in right centerfield to make it 9-1 and knock Brummett from the game.
The Bruins broke through for their second run in the fifth as Crawford drove home his second run of the day with an RBI single through the right side, plating Tim Stewart to make it 9-2.
However, Cal State Fullerton got the run back in the sixth as John Curtis launched his sixth home run of the season just to the left of the batter's eye in centerfield on a 2-1 offering from reliever Brendan Lafferty to make it 10-2.
The Titans tacked on two more runs in the ninth on a wild pitch and a two-out RBI single by Hardman to cap the scoring.
Alden Carrithers and Justin Uribe joined Crawford in the two-hit club to help pace the Bruins.
The super regional series between the Titans and Bruins continues with game two of the best-of-three series on Sunday (June 10) at 7 p.m. PDT at Goodwin Field.
NOTES: Roemer hit two batters on the afternoon, giving him 61 for his career and moving him to within five of the NCAA record for hit batters in a career (66 by Charleston Southern's Nino Fasulo from 2002-05)... Four Titans extended their hitting streaks on the day: Hardman (6 games), Fellhauer (5 games), Chris Jones (6 games), and McArthur (7 games)... Roemer improved to 6-1 on the hill in the postseason and 2-0 in the super regional round in his Titans career.