DAVIS, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton scored a run in seven of the nine innings played for the second consecutive game and capitalized on four errors to score a series-clinching 13-3 victory over UC Davis Sunday afternoon at Dobbins Stadium.
Scott Hurst went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Titans (19-15, 6-3) offense and David Olmedo-Barrera was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. The Aggies (20-13-1, 4-5) managed just three hits in the final eight innings against Titans pitching after scoring three times on three hits in the first inning.
Freshman John Gavin secured his fifth victory of the season, allowing three runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out two. Miles Chambers, Maxwell Gibbs and Chad Hockin combined to shut down the Aggies for the final four innings. They combined to allow just two hits and strike out four without a walk.
For the Aggies, Max Cordy took his first loss of the season after allowing seven runs, four earned, on six hits in four innings of work. He walked two and struck out three.
Josh Vargas continued his hot hitting to start the game, reaching on a one-out single up the middle in the first inning for the Titans. He moved over to second on a groundout and then came around to score the Titans first run of the game on a single by Olmedo-Barrera. After Aggies starter Max Cordy hit Jake Jefferies with a pitch, Hurst stepped up and had another single up the middle to bring in Olmedo-Barrera and make it 2-0 in favor of Fullerton.
But the Aggies responded quickly as catcher Izaak Silva took Gavin deep to left-center in the first inning for his first career home run, cutting the Titans lead in half. Nick Lynch then hit a cue-shot single to second base and Austin March followed with a bunt single to third. Vaught's throw sailed wide of the bag, allowing Lynch to get to third and he would score on a wild pitch to tie the game. Gavin then walked Tino Lipson and hit Tanner Bily with a pitch to load the bases with one out. Alex Aguiar hit a sacrifice fly to deep left-center field to score March with the go-ahead run and make it 3-2 Aggies after one inning.
In the third inning, the Titans capitalized on some Aggies defensive miscues to retake the lead for good, scoring four times in the inning, three of those runs unearned. Josh Estill got the rally started after he hit a high chopper to second base, where Lipson fielded and then threw the ball away allowing Estill to reach. Olmedo-Barrera followed with his second double in as many days, plating Estill all the way from first. Jefferies walked and then Hurst hit an RBI single to bring in Olmedo-Barrera to give the Titans a 4-3 lead. Catcher A.J. Kennedy then drew a walk to load the bases for Tyler Stieb. The Titans center fielder then hit a grounder to short for what appeared to be a tailor-made double-play ball, but Lipson's throw to first was offline and two runs scored for Fullerton to make it a 6-3 lead and the Titans never looked back.
Notes: The Titans are now 29-4 all-time against UC Davis and 17-1 on the road… The Titans tied their season high with 13 runs on Sunday and had their second largest margin of victory (10). They defeated Cal Poly 13-2 on April 4… Hurst and Stieb each extended their hitting streaks to five games on Sunday… Vargas has reached base safely in 17 straight games.
