CS Fullerton Bounces Back to Defeat Cal

FULLERTON —  Cal State Fullerton quickly went from being a first-night flop to a baseball team drawing rave reviews from Coach George Horton after a 12-1 victory over California Saturday at Titan Field.

On Friday night, the Titans made six errors and lost, 6-5, in a ragged 12-inning game that lasted nearly five hours. They came back strong Saturday with an errorless effort and strong pitching from freshman Jon Smith.

“We were more in character,” Horton said. “This time the adrenaline wasn’t flowing. And our players were probably a little tired from playing as long as they did the other night. This is what happens when they play more relaxed. That’s the way we can play.”

Smith set the tone early in the game. A left-hander, Smith gave up three hits and one run in six innings. Jordan DeJong, another freshman, pitched the final three innings, giving up two hits.

“Smith had a tender arm this week, so we were thinking about him only going five innings, but we let him stay in one more,” Horton said. “We’ve said he could be one of the premier pitchers in the country. Our freshmen have pitched well.”

The Bears scored their only run off Smith in the fifth when he gave up a walk and a double to Jason Hill. Smith faced 12 batters in the first four innings, picking off three runners after they reached first base. In the fifth, he picked off Hill at second. “His move to first is as good as it gets,” Horton said.

Smith, who walked three and struck out two, was pleased with his first college start.

“I was able to throw strikes, and that’s what counts,” Smith said. “I had some tenderness in my rotator cuff this week, probably from throwing a little too much, but everything went better than I expected. I just stayed with my fastball and change the whole day.”

The Titans got to Cal stater Ryan Drese for four runs in the first inning and coasted from there. Reed Johnson reached on an error, Ryan Moore walked and both runners advanced when Drese failed to get Moore at third on Steve Chatham’s bunt. Aaron Rowand drove in two runs on a high chopper that sailed over third base. The other two runs scored on an infield hit by Ryan Owens and Greg Jacobs’ sacrifice fly.

Fullerton scored two runs in the second on Kevin Duck’s one-out double to center, and Duck drove in another run in the fourth.

The Titans scored three in the fifth. Reliever Ryan Atkinson hit two batters, forcing in one run. Another scored on a wild pitch. Horton begin moving reserves into the lineup at that point, and the Titans made it 12-1 in the seventh on Pete Fukuhara’s two-run homer.

The Titans’ strong defense was a sharp contrast to Friday night. “Cal hit the ball in the air a lot this time, but the infield made the plays they had,” Horton said. Outfielders Chatham and Rowand each made outstanding catches.

The series continues at 1 p.m. today at Titan Field.