Jan. 31, 2003
Fullerton, Calif. - Danny Dorn's bases-clearing three-run triple in the bottom of the seventh inning snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted No. 13 Cal State Fullerton (1-0) to a season-opening 7-3 victory over No. 3 Stanford (2-1) before a Goodwin Field regular season record crowd of 3131 on Friday evening. Dorn was 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI. John Tucker (1-0) picked up the victory with 2.2 innings of scoreless middle relief before Chad Cordero came on to get the final three outs. Stanford's Brian Hall (4-4, 2 RBI) led the Cardinal offensively by tying a career-high with four hits.
Cal State Fullerton scored four runs on just one hit in the bottom of the seventh inning off losing pitcher Matt Manship (0-1). Manship walked the first two hitters of the inning and the Titans loaded the bases for Dorn when Manship failed to field Kyle Boyer's sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice fly by P.J. Pilittere scored Dorn scored with the Titans' final run of the inning.
Tucker and Cordero held the Cardinal without a run on three hits over the final 3.2 innings in relief of ace Wes Littleton, who received a no-decision after scattering eight hits and three runs with six strikeouts over the first 5.1 innings.
Shane Costa (2-3, 2 SB), Justin Turner (2-4) and Ronnie Prettyman (2-5) added a pair of hits each for the Titans.
Carlos Quentin (2-3) and Ryan Garko (2-4) had two-hit games for the Cardinal.
Stanford starter John Hudgins received no-decision, scattering 10 hits and three runs over the first 6.0 innings. Hudgins pitched 5.0 scoreless innings after allowing three Titan runs in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the sixth, he got himself out of major trouble when he struck out the side after the Titans had loaded the bases with no outs.
David O'Hagan (0.2 IP) and Jonny Dyer (1.0 IP) combined for 1.2 innings of relief for the Cardinal.
Cal State Fullerton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on the strength of five consecutive two-out singles. Costa started the three-run rally with a single and the Titans had runners on first and third after another single by Richie Burgos. Hudgins then balked home Costa with the first run and Burgos moved to second. Boyer followed with an RBI single to score Burgos before stealing second and scoring on an RBI single from Dorn.
Stanford immediately answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to cut the Titan lead to 3-2. Danny Putnam led off the frame by drawing a 3-2 walk from Littleton before moving to second on a balk and third on a groundball by John Mayberry, Jr. Littleton then struck out Donny Lucy on a 3-2 pitch for the second out before Hall came through with a clutch two-out single up the middle to score Putnam and put the Cardinal on the board. Hall came all the way around to score on a pair of miscues by Littleton, going all the way from first to third on a Littleton errant pickoff attempt and scoring on a wild pitch. Ash continued the Cardinal rally with a two-out triple, the first three-bagger of his career, before Tobin Swope's line drive to centerfield was caught by a diving Boyer to get the Titans out of the jam.
Stanford tied the score at 3-3 in the top of the fourth inning. Putnam led off the frame with a single and the Cardinal had runners on second and third base after a double down the third base line by Mayberry. After Littleton struck out Lucy struck for the first out of the inning, the Cardinal caught a break when Hall's low pop-up fell safely in front of Titan second baseman Justin Turner after he slipped in pursuit of the ball. Hall was credited with an RBI single when Turner's throw on Putnam at the plate was not in time. The Cardinal reloaded the bases but Fullerton escaped a big inning when Sam Fuld's two-out line drive was caught by Titan Prettyman at third base.
The loss was only Stanford's third in the last 15 games against Cal State Fullerton.
Stanford and Cal State Fullerton continue their three-game series with games on Saturday (6 pm) and Sunday (1 pm).