RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton (9-13, 5-3) dominated the fourth and final game of the series against UC Riverside (4-11, 2-6), winning 16-8 to take a 3-1 series win.
Fullerton got its scoring going early and kept the petal on throughout the game, putting up at least one run in each of the first six innings. The Titans scored in eight out nine innings Sunday afternoon, scoring their 16 runs on 21 hits.
Connor had yet another outstanding game for Fullerton, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and three runs. In four games this weekend Connor went 11-for-22 with six RBI and four runs.
.@Caden_Connor77 on today's series clinching win and his performance this weekend. #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/WdexOBFT0X
— Titans Baseball (@FullertonBSB) March 29, 2021
The Titans put up a crooked number in the top of the first inning, scoring three runs to get out to an early lead. Connor and Jake Harvey got the inning going with one out singles to put runners on first and third.
Being in the lineup for the first time this weekend, Jason Brandow and Isaiah Garcia came up big when the Titans needed them. The two right-handed batters recorded back-to-back RBI singles to score Connor and Harvey, respectively. One batter later, Cole Urman recorded a productive out to give Fullerton a 3-0 lead.
Josh Urps leadoff the second inning with a single through the left side, two batters later Connor singled up the middle to bring Urps home and record his first RBI of the afternoon. Urps had a strong bounce back game, batting 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs while adding two walks.
In the third, it was a two-out rally that led to a run for Fullerton. Urman and Jackson Lyon strung together back-to-back singles, setting up Urps for a RBI single to bring home Urman and extend the lead to 4-0.
UC Riverside responded in the bottom of the third inning with three runs to cut into the Titans lead and make it a 5-4 game.
With Caden Connor on second with two outs in the top of the fourth, Brandow stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run home run to left field to put the Titans up 7-4. Brandow now has two home runs this season.
Brandow had a great day after returning to the starting lineup, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs. In limited at-bats this weekend, Brandow hit 4-for-6 with five RBI and four runs.
The Highlanders once again came back with an answer, scoring one run in the bottom half of the fourth to cut Fullerton's lead to 7-5.
The Titans were tired of hanging around with UC Riverside as they scored five runs in the fifth to open the game up. Urps and Lyon scored on a throwing error by the third baseman which also allowed Carter White to get to third. Zach Lew kept the inning going with a single through the left to score White followed by a double from Connor to score Lew. The Titans led 12-5 after five innings.
Lew recorded his second RBI of the afternoon in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring White from third. White got on base with a one out double down the left field line. Lew went 2-for-6 with three RBI and one run.
Michael Knorr started the game on the mound for Fullerton and pitched four innings, allowing five runs (four earned) while striking out five. Cameron Repetti came on in relief in the fifth and gave up just one hit in two innings of work.
Ryan Hare entered the game in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out and quickly got UC Riverside to hit into a double play to end the inning and keep the damage at just one run. Evan Adolphus finished out the final inning, not allowing a single hit while striking out one.
The Titans schedule is up in the air next week after CSU Bakersfield was forced to pause all baseball operations as a result of university and department wide health and safety protocols.