CORVALLIS, Ore. – Cal State Fullerton rallied and fought neck-and-neck with the best team in the country, and nearly tied the game up in the ninth, as Hank LoForte launched a deep fly ball to the right field fence, but it ended up being the final out of the game. The Titans fell to No. 1/2 Oregon State by the final of 5-4 in the series finally, Sunday at Goss Stadium.
Fullerton (4-10) trailed as much as 5-1 in the ballgame after the Beavers struck for four in the first and one in the fourth, but rallied all the way back to get within one.
Hank LoForte collected his third multi-hit game of the season, going 2-of-5 from the dish while recording an RBI. Daniel Cope's seven-game hit streak game to an end, but he walked a career-high three times in the contest to extend his on-base streak to a team-best eight straight games. Jace Chamberlin had himself a day, coming through with a clutch knock and a walk, while recording a career-high three RBI.
Ruben Cardenas picked up a knock. Mitchell Berryhill went 1-for-3 with a walk.
The Titans did a great job of getting on base, forcing eight free passes and collecting five hits, but they just couldn't bring enough runs across the plate, as they left 10 stranded on base.
Dillon Brown and Tommy Wilson combined to pitch seven innings, while surrendering just two hits and a run. Brett Conine also tossed a shutout inning.
Fullerton struck first in this one, as Sahid Valenzuela eventually scored the first run of the game after reaching on a strikeout to lead off the game after the ball got away from OSU's Adley Rutschman behind the dish. Two groundouts later, LoForte came up with the big two-out knock up the middle to drive in the run to make it a 1-0 Titan advantage.
The Titans came up with another two runs in the fifth inning thanks to another huge two-out knock. Valenzuela and Prescott each walked to begin the fifth before Cardenas laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them to second and third. Cope then was hit by a pitch to load them up. Chamberlin then came through with knock up the middle to score two runs and make it a just a 5-3 deficit. Three of four Titan runs were scored with two outs on the day.
Fullerton inched even closer in the seventh, as Prescott and Cope each earned walks. LoForte then singled to lead them up for Chamberlin again with one out. Chamberlin rolled on to shortstop to score another run to make it a 5-4 ballgame.
Unfortunately, that's as close as the Titans would get.
Fullerton now returns home to begin a season-long eight game homestand beginning with a three-game series with Grand Canyon. Game one will be Friday at 7 pm PT at Goodwin Field.
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