Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team was looking for its first home series win over Cal State Fullerton since 2007 Sunday afternoon, but the Titans jumped on the Highlanders bullpen in the later innings, en route to a 15-2 victory.
For the second game in a row, Cal State Fullerton put a two spot on the board in the top of the first. UC Riverside starter Ricky Delgado (0-1) retired the first two batters of the inning, but the Titans strung together three singles and a walk to take a 2-0 lead.
The Highlanders looked to answer in their half of the first, loading the bases with nobody out off of Fullerton (17-10) starter John Gavin. But Gavin got Connor Cannon to pop up to second, struck out Cade Peters, and induced a ground ball of the bat of AJ Sawyer to retire the side, and preserve the shutout.
UC Riverside broke through two innings later, courtesy of a pair of walks, and two run-scoring singles. Connor Cannon drove in the Highlanders' first run of the game with a grounder through the left side of the infield which plated Mark Contreras. The next batter, Cade Peters, delivered a single to center scoring Yeager Taylor with the tying run.
It didn't remain tied for long, however, as the Titans put together another two-out rally in the top of the fourth. Scott Hurst got things started by driving a ball to the deepest part of The Plex. Center fielder Contreras went back on the ball and crashed into the Blue Monster trying to make the play. He wasn't able to come up with it, however, and the ball caromed back towards the infield. By the time the corner outfielders converged on the ball, Hurst was well on his way home with an inside-the-park home run.
Sahid Valenzuela followed with a single to right field, and Timmy Richards hit a ball into semi-shallow right. UC Riverside right fielder Cade Peters made a play on the ball, but was unable to come up with it, and it rolled to the wall for an RBI triple, making the score 4-2 Cal State Fullerton.
The Highlanders (12-11) had their next scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases, this time with one out. Head Coach Troy Percival called on Tony Gudino to pinch hit, and Titans Head Coach Rick Vanderhook countered by bringing in relief pitcher Blake Workman.
Workman (3-1) got ahead of Gudino, 1-2, but Gudino ripped the next offering down the left field line. Home plate umpire Paul Graham put his arms in the air signaling a foul ball, but was less than emphatic about it, and the Highlanders circled the bases believing the ball to be fair. Vanderhook quickly came out of the Fullerton dugout to verify that the ball was indeed foul. Graham confirmed the call, which brought Percival out of the UC Riverside dugout. After a brief discussion, Percival was asked to watch the rest of the game from the Highlanders' clubhouse.
When play resumed, Workman struck out Gudino, and then Kd Michael Farris to work out of the jam.
Working on the tail end of the UC Riverside bullpen, Cal State Fullerton scored four runs in the sixth, two in the seventh, and three in the ninth for the eventual 13-run margin of victory.
The Highlanders are on the road for the next four games beginning with a Tuesday, 6 pm PT match-up at LMU.
