April 19, 2009
Box Score
Fullerton, Calif. - While the Pacific baseball team secured the series victory on Saturday, they let No. 6 Cal State Fullerton sneak a win in the three-game series, falling 4-3 on Sunday, April 19.
With the loss, Pacific dropped to 15-19 on the year and 7-5 in the Big West, as Cal State Fullerton improved to 24-11 and 6-6 in conference play.
Pacific started out hot right out of the gates in the first inning, as sophomore Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) took a pitch to his body in the first pitch of the game. He moved over to first with no outs as senior Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.) stepped up to the plate. In what should have been a fielder's choice and possibly a double play attempt, Centanni reached first as a fielding error by Christian Colon put both players on first and second safely.
The Tigers then had a runner in scoring position, two on and first outs, when sophomore J.B. Brown (Alvin, Texas) singled up the middle for the first hit of the game that score Longmire and advanced Centanni to second. Senior Mike McKeever (San Diego, Calif.) then had his turn at the plate, grounding into a fielder's choice that elimated Brown at second, but put runners on the corners as Centanni reached third base.
A balk during a third and first pick off attempt by the Titans' starting pitcher Kyle Witten sent Centanni home and moved McKeever to second as Pacific took a 2-0 lead in the first. That was all the scoring the Tigers could muster, but they jumped on board in the first inning for the first time all series.
Off starter RHP Mark McCain (Dallas, Texas), Cal State Fullerton snuck by one run in the second, with Pacific leading 2-1. However, the Titans stuck with it and Witten dominated on the mound, not allowing another run to score for the Tigers during the rest of his time on the mound. Behind Witten, the Titans plated three more runs in the fourth, taking a 4-2 lead.
It wasn't until reliever Nick Ramirez came in that Pacific came back for another run in the top of the eighth. Leading off the inning, McKeever drove a home run over the left field wall on a 1-2 pitch, bringing the Tigers within one at 4-3. One out later, senior Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) singled up the middle to put yet another runner on base, keeping Pacific's hopes of coming back in the game alive. Junior Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) came up next and hit into a fielder's choice to the second baseman Joe Scott. Scott fielded the ball cleanly and flipped over to second, but Wideman slid in to the base and broke up the double play when Colon dropped the ball. That put runners on first and second with one out, as Pacific trailed by one.
The following batter, freshman Josh Simms (La Mesa, Calif.), came around for a half swing off Ramirez and dribbled the ball towards the pitcher's mound. Ramirez could not throw the ball to any base, as all runners reached their respective bases safely to load the bases. The Tigers could do no more, however, as Ramirez retired the next two batters in order to end the inning.
Witten earned the win for the Titans while Ramirez recorded his second save of the year. McCain took the loss, falling to 2-1 on the year, while junior Jamie Niley (Elk Grove, Calif.) came in for shut out relief out of the bullpen. Niley tossed 4.2 innings of work, giving up only three hits. He retired eight of the first nine batters he saw, including five strikeouts in his first two innings of work.
The Tigers travel to Nevada on Tuesday, April 20 for a first pitch slated for 6 p.m.
