Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team got a strong pitching performance out of starter Alex Fagalde, and threw out two runners at the plate en route to a 3-2 victory over #10 Cal State Fullerton.
It was the fifth straight loss for the Titans, who began the year with wins in 15 of their first 19 games.
Fagalde improved to 5-0 on the season, striking out six batters in his 6.0 innings of work. The senior right-hander kept Cal State Fullerton off balance for much of the day, scattering seven hits and two walks.
The Titans (15-10) went on top, 1-0, in the top half of the third when Hunter Cullen led off the frame with an infield single, and Scott Hurst brought him home two outs later with a double down the left field.
UC Riverside (12-9) responded in their half of the third, however, touching Titans starter Connor Seabold (2-4) for four hits and three runs. Three of the Highlanders hits went off the blue monster—Michael Farris' leadoff double to center, Colby Schultz' RBI triple to right center, and Cade Peters' RBI triple to right.
The other UCR run of the inning scored as Mark Contreras tried to lay down a safety squeeze. The ball made it past Seabold to the first base side of the mound, and Contreras reached on a single, while driving in a run.
It remained a 3-1 game until the top of the fifth, when Cal State Fullerton put runners at first and second with nobody out. Chris Hudgins grounded into a double play, advanced Hank LaForte to third, and it looked like the Highlanders would get out of the inning unscathed. Niko Pacheco hit a dribbler in front of the plate, and Tony Gudino fielded the ball cleanly. His throw to first was in the dirt, however, and the error allowed LaForte to score, making it a one-run game.
The Titans threatened again in the top of the sixth loading the bases with two out, but Fagalde got Cullen to lift a flay ball to left, and Aj Sawyer nailed Timmy Richards at the plate to complete the double play.
Fagalde was lifted after six, and Hazahel Quijada and Jared Morton tossed scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth respectively.
Morton returned to start the ninth, and the Titans put runners on the corners with one out. Tristan Hildebrandt laid down a safety squeeze, and Morton quickly jumped on it, getting the runner on third, Jake Pavletich, caught in a run down. Third baseman Michael Farris threw home to Gudino, cutting down the tying run, and Morton got Hurst to fly out to left for the final out of the game.
The Highlanders and Titans play game two of their three-game series beginning at 6 pm PT Saturday at The Plex.
