Fullerton’s Saarloos Shuts Down Baylor

Kirk Saarloos pitched a three-hit shutout and struck out seven batters Sunday as Cal State Fullerton defeated Baylor, 5-0, in a nonconference baseball game at Waco, Texas.

The Titans (3-5) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Kyle Boyer tripled to right field and scored on a single by Mike Rouse.

In the fourth inning, Boyer led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Rouse and scored on a Chris Stringfellow double.

Cal State Fullerton added three insurance runs in the eighth inning. Robert Guzman, Brett Kay and Louie Lamoure scored the runs, on singles by Cole Hilt and Shane Costa and a sacrifice fly from Rouse.

The Titans won the series, two games to one. Baylor is 4-3.

In another nonconference game:

Long Beach State 9, USC 5--Chris Wright hit a two-out, bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning to help No. 13 Long Beach State (4-2) defeat second-ranked USC, 9-5, before 1,325 at Blair Field.

The Trojans (6-1) led, 5-3, before the 49ers scored six unearned runs in the seventh. With one out, first baseman Mike Hofius doubled down the third-base line and scored on a throwing error by USC’s Seth Davidson, allowing pinch-hitter Cole Craig to reach base.

After Fraser Dizard walked Edgar Varela, putting runners on first and third, Craig scored on a wild pitch from reliever Brian Bannister to tie the score, 5-5. Bannister then walked two consecutive batters to load the bases and set up Wright’s hit down the first-base line.

Wright had two hits and drove in three runs. Hofius went three for three and scored two runs for Long Beach State. USC committed a season-high four errors in the loss.

Long Beach State’s Josh Alliston (1-0) picked up his first win of the year, working a career-high 4 1/3 innings and giving up three hits and one unearned run.

In Big West Conference women’s basketball:

Long Beach State 94, Cal State Fullerton 45--Six players scored in double figures for visiting Long Beach State (12-10, 7-2), led by Reta Sula and Jackie Moore, who each had 15 points. Cal State Fullerton, which shot 28 percent from the floor, dropped to 1-8 in the Big West Conference and 1-21 overall.

Pacific 70, UC Irvine 56--The Anteaters (11-13, 2-7) led by five at halftime, but Pacific outscored them, 46-27, in the second half. Selena Ho had 21 points and six assists for Pacific (14-8, 7-2). UCI was led by Cindy Oparah’s 17 points and 11 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season.