March 12, 2006

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - Brandon Tripp and David Cooper each socked home runs and drove in four RBI as No. 7 Cal State Fullerton defeated East Carolina, 8-1, to complete the sweep of the Pirates Sunday afternoon at Goodwin Field.

The game started an hour and three minutes behind schedule due to a rain shower that passed overhead, but once the game got underway, the Titans led wire to wire earning its third series sweep of 2006, improving to 14-6 on the year. East Carolina, who scored just one time in their first-ever trip to Cal State Fullerton, dropped to 12-6.

It was the Tripp and Cooper show offensively for the Titans as the duo drove in all eight of the Fullerton runs. Tripp blasted a pair of home runs in back-to-back at bats in the fourth and fifth innings, while Cooper had three singles and his first career home run in the sixth inning. Tripps second home run of the game bumped him into the team lead with 3.

Dustin Miller (4-1) picked up his fourth win of the year holding the Pirates to just four hits over seven innings of work and surrendered the only East Carolina highlight of the weekend. In the sixth inning, first baseman Adam Witter took a Miller offering toward the Arboretum in right field for his fourth home run of the season. The home run ended a 23.2 inning scoreless streak by the Titan pitching staff, going back to the eighth inning of Tuesday's midweek affair with San Diego State.

Vinine Pestano pitched the last two innings in relief of Miller, retiring all six hitters he faced including a strikeout of pinch-hitter Adam Hodges to end the game.

For the second Sunday in a row, the Titans got to see their opponent's bullpen, as the Pirates trotted out six arms to the hill. Fullerton got to the first three pitchers they faced they faced for 11 of their 13 hits, six against starter Shane Mathews (0-2) who ended up the loser. Mathews allowed four runs in his 3.1 innings of work, while walking one and striking out two in the losing effort. Scott Andrews and Carter Harrell, both in relief of Mathews, each gave up a pair of runs, with Andrews coming in just .1 innings of work.

Titan first baseman Brett Pill joined Tripp and Cooper as the three Titans collecting two-or-more hits with Cooper's four leading all players.

Singles by Jake Dean, Brandon Henderson, Stephen Batts and the Whitter home run, accounted for the entire Pirate offense on Sunday. The Titan pitching staff held them to just a .158 batting average all weekend.

Fullerton's next opponent will be the Arizona Wildcats, as the Titans travel to Tucson for a three-game series at Jerry Kindall Field. Game times will be 6 p.m., 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. PST, Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. Fullerton will likely stay with the same rotation of Wes Roemer (4-0, 1.40 ERA), Lauren Gagnier (4-2, 2.74 ERA) and Dustin Miller (4-1, 3.82 ERA) for those games.