May 24,
2008
Titans take Round 1 with
Dirtbags
By Abbey Mastracco
CollegeBaseballInsider.com
LONG BEACH, Calif. — With just three games
separating Big West rivals No. 7 Cal State Fullerton and Long
Beach State from the Big West Conference title, the two duked it
out Friday night in front of 2,532 at Blair Field in a
pitching-dominated match. Andrew Liebel (8-3) took the 4-1 loss
for the Dirtbags (14-8 Big West, 35-19 overall), as he dropped a
pitchers duel with Titans’ (16-6 Big West, 37-17 overall) Jeff
Kaplan (11-1).
Jared Clark led the game going 3 for 5 with two
doubles, two runs and two RBI. Josh Fellhauer finished 2 for 4
with a run. TJ Mittelstaedt scored the Dirtbags lone run in the
sixth.
It was Liebel who was hit first, as Josh
Fellhauer took an infield single off the right-hander to lead
off the game, and scored the game’s first run in CSF’s two-run
fourth. Fellhauer sliced a sharp single up the center to lead
off the inning and was moved over on Christian Colon’s second
sac bunt of the night. Liebel got Erik Komatsu to fly out, but
gave up an RBI double to Clark. Second baseman Jason Tweedy then
misplayed a slower roller, allowing it to get behind him and
Clark to score from second.
The Titans pushed two more over the plate in the
sixth, as fielding errors caused by the rain continued to plague
the Dirtbags.
Kaplan took a no-hitter through three innings,
walking one, until Steve Tinoco reached base with an infield
single. Travis Howell led off the sixth with an infield single,
just Kaplan’s second hit surrendered, before an hour and
37-minute rain delay ensued. Kaplan threw just 10 pitches after
the delay, finishing up five and 1/3 innings of work having
given up just one earned on three hits, one walk and striking
out three.
Liebel went just six innings, just the second
time in the season he failed to pitch into the seventh, being
taken for four runs (two earned) on five hits, walking one and
striking out just one.
Adam Jorgenson got the save (10) for the Titans,
tossing two scoreless innings, striking out one and allowing
just one hit.
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