BIG WEST BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Titans Beat Long Beach, Regain Top Spot in Conference

LONG BEACH —  Cal State Fullerton moved back into first place in the Big West Conference Sunday with a 5-1 victory over Cal State Long Beach.

The victory, coupled with Nevada Las Vegas’ 10-0 victory over Fresno State, moved the Titans (9-4 in conference) into first place. Fresno State (10-5) is second.

Fullerton scored a run in the second inning and four in the third to take a 5-0 lead. The Titans put together nine hits to score the runs.

It started when David Ayala got a two-out single, went to second on Kevin Farlow’s single and scored on Domingo Mota’s double to left.

On the double, Farlow was thrown out at the plate to end the inning, but Fullerton continued the string of hits.

Phil Nevin led off the third inning with a single and went to second on Mate Borgogno’s single. Nevin and Borgogno advanced when Long Beach starter Eric Gruben (6-4) balked.

Then Rich Gonzales, who came into the game batting .405 with 30 runs batted in, hit a home run to left field to give the Titans a 4-0 lead.

“He hung a changeup that just floated,” Gonzales said.

Frank Charles followed with a single to center and Steve Sisco’s sacrifice moved him to second.

Charles scored when Matt Hattabaugh singled. Ayala, who started the Titan run, followed with a single to chase Gruben.

Long Beach freshman Todd Taylor relieved Gruben and got Farlow and Mota to line out and pop out to end the inning.

Fullerton’s pitching did not betray its offense as it did in Saturday’s 9-6 loss to Long Beach.

Sunday, Titan starter Sam Colarusso (5-3) pitched 6 1/3 innings before tiring, allowing only one unearned run and four hits in the victory.

“We certainly weren’t anxious to take him out,” Fullerton Coach Larry Cochell said. However, Bill Fitzgerald finished up, allowing only one hit.

Fullerton’s pitchers got Long Beach batters to hit into two double plays and strike out six times with runners on base.

Long Beach (31-19-1, 8-7) scored in the seventh inning. Jason Giambi led off with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch by Colarusso. Colarusso got Perry Sanchez to fly out to left but Michael Lujan singled to center where Mota fumbled the ball, which allowed Giambi to score.

In another Big West game:

Santa Barbara 5, UC Irvine 4--Jerold Roundtree’s RBI single in the eighth gave host Santa Barbara the victory. UCI (28-23, 5-10) had tied the score, 4-4, in the eighth on a two-run triple by Ray Walker. Shelby Niss and Chris Gallego had RBI doubles for the Anteaters. Joe Sewell (2-3) took the loss for Irvine. Santa Barbara (35-14, 10-5) swept the series.