Early Salvo Allows USC to Coast Past Fullerton

The first two games between Cal State Fullerton and USC this season produced a one-run victory for each team, but the rubber game Wednesday night quickly turned into a runaway for the Trojans.

USC broke it open with an eight-run second inning and coasted to an 8-3 victory at Fullerton after Trojan starter Ronald Flores pitched four perfect innings before being replaced.

Only one ball reached the outfield against Flores (5-1), who struck out five. Fullerton didn’t get a hit until Shawn Norris led off the sixth inning with a double to right against reliever Tim Petke.

The Titans received a strong pitching effort in relief from freshman Nick Lovato, but it came after the damage had been done.

Lovato, who took over after starter George Carralejo was hammered in the second, held USC scoreless on no hits for 6 1/3 innings before being replaced by Kirk Saarloos in the ninth. Lovato gave up two walks and struck out four.

Lovato’s only previous appearance this season was in an exhibition game against the Angels.

Fullerton Coach George Horton said he had considered not using Lovato the rest of the season in an attempt to preserve a possible redshirt year, but decided Sunday that he probably would be needed.

“It’s a tribute to him that he wasn’t concerned about that, and was ready to pitch if we needed him,” Horton said. “He pitched outstanding, and he did it against a good team.”

The victory by USC (32-18) left the Titans (31-17) with a 5-7 record against against Pacific-10 opposition, their first losing record against the conference since 1991.

Flores was dominating against the Titans early, but USC Coach Mike Gillespie said he took him out to save him for this weekend’s series against Oregon State. “He’s becoming an important pitcher for us now, and we’ve burned him out a couple of times in midweek games,” Gillespie said.

Horton said he also was impressed with Flores’ showing. But the other Trojan pitchers were solid, with Fullerton getting only three hits in the game.

USC had seven consecutive hits, two of them bunts, against Carralejo (2-2) in the second inning.

Hits by Josh Persell and Rob Garibaldi and a safe bunt by Alberto Concepcion loaded the bases quickly. Hits by Josh Self, Brian Barre, Seth Davidson and Justin Gemoll all brought in runs and another scored when Carralejo hit a batter with the bases loaded.

Carralejo finally got an out on Beau Craig’s fly ball to center, but that scored the Trojans’ sixth run. Garibaldi’s single and Concepcion’s double in their second at-bats in the inning brought in two more runs. Lovato replaced Carralejo and got the final out.

The Titans scored three unearned runs in the eighth, helped by two Trojan errors. Two runs scored on an error by Concepcion at first base on Matt Belfanti’s hard-hit ground ball.

Lovato’s effort was a boost to the Titan pitching staff going into the final two weeks of the regular season. Fullerton plays a three-game series at Pacific this weekend and closes the conference season the following weekend at Long Beach State.

“I never expected him to pitch at that level in his first real outing of the season,” Titan pitching coach Dave Serrano said. “I was putting him in tonight to pitch only an inning or two, but he pitched very well.”