FULLERTON, Calif. - Sophomore Connor Seabold struck out a career-high 11 and Cal State Fullerton pounded out a season-high 17 hits to score its fifth straight win, a 12-4 nonconference victory over UNLV Friday night at Goodwin Field.
Seabold struck out the side in the sixth inning to eclipse his previous career high of nine strikeouts in a game. It was the second time in the game he fanned the side as he fanned the side in the second inning. Seabold picked up his fifth win of the season, going six innings and allowing three runs on eight hits for the Titans (23-13).
Tanner Pinkston continued his torrid hitting as he went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk. It was the fifth straight game of at least three hits for the Titans first baseman. He extended his hitting streak to seven games while reaching safely for the 16th straight time.
Jerrod Bravo was 3-for-5 while Tristan Hildebrandt, Josh Vargas, Dalton Blaser and Timmy Richards all had two hits apiece. Coby Kauhaahaa went 2-for-5 and drove in a career-high four runs.
For the Rebels (16-21), catcher Andrew Yazdanbakhsh led the way offensively, going 3-for-3 while Cooper Esmay was 2-for-3 with a run scored. D.J. Myers took the loss on the mound for UNLV, surrendering seven earned runs on 11 hits in five innings of work.
The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the first as they led off with four straight singles from Vargas, Pinkston, Blaser and Richards. Blaser and Richards each drove in a run to put the Titans up early.
But UNLV struck back quickly in the second as Yazdanbakhsh was hit with the first pitch he saw from Seabold and then Justin Jones launched his fifth home run of the season to right field, tying the game at 2-2.
The Titans regained the lead in the third after Pinkston and Blaser each led off with singles. A one-out walk to Scott Hurst loaded the bases and then Bravo singled in Pinkston to give the Titans a 3-2 lead. Kauhaahaa followed with an RBI groundout to make it 4-2.
The Rebels got one run back in the fourth but Fullerton would break the game open with four runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-3 lead. The Titans sent nine batters to the plate in the inning and got a pair of RBI singles from Richards and Kauhaahaa along with an RBI walk from Blaser and a sacrifice fly from Hurst to cap off the rally and the Titans never looked back.
The teams return to action Saturday night at Goodwin Field as John Gavin takes the mound for the Titans while Kenny Oakley gets the start for the Rebels. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Notes: Pinkston is now batting .350 after Friday night's game. He has elevated his average by 113 points since March 24. His four-hit game was a new career high and the first for a Titans player since Hurst had four hits on April 12, 2015 at UC Davis… Kauhaahaa's four-RBI game was the fifth by a Titans player this season and first since Blaser drove in four against UC Davis on April 17… The Titans have pounded out 63 hits during the five-game winning streak… The Titans are now 7-6 when the opponent hits a home run… Fullerton has now won five straight games against UNLV and is 43-7 all-time against the Rebels at Goodwin Field… Vargas is now two hits away from 100 for his Fullerton career.