IRVINE, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton dropped the regular season finale at No. 12 UC Irvine by a final score of 12-10 Saturday afternoon at Cicerone Field. With the loss the Titans finish the regular season with a 29-25 overall record and 19-11 in Big West play.
After taking the first two games of the series over the No. 12 team in the nation, the Titans locked up the No. 3 seed in the Big West Championship beginning next week at Goodwin Field.
The Titans fell behind early as UC Irvine scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead.
Fullerton came back to tie the game at 2-2 after scoring two runs in the top of the fourth. Andrew Kirchner drove in the first run of the game for the Titans on a sacrifice fly to bring home Maddox Latta.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Marcos Rosales came through with an RBI single up the middle to bring home Carter Johnstone and tie the game.
UC Irvine responded with one run in the home half of the fourth to retake the lead, 3-2.
The Titans had an answer of their own, plating two runs in the fifth inning on a two-run single by Matthew Bardowell to take a 4-3 lead.
The Anteaters answered once again, this time scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 9-4 lead.
Fullerton had a big inning of its own to get back in the game, plating five runs in the sixth to tie the game at 9-9.
After a leadoff single by Rosales, Cam Burdick crushed a two-run home run to left center field for his second home run of the season and third of his career. Burdick's home run cut the deficit to 9-6.
Bardowell then came through for the Titans with the bases loaded, hitting a two-run ground-rule double down the left field line to cut the deficit to 9-8. Unfortunately, for the Titans the ball rolled into the Anteaters bullpen which caused the play to stop otherwise three runs would have scored.
The senior outfielder, Bardowell, had an impressive day at the plate going 2-for-5 while tying a season-high with four runs driven in.
Kirchner brought home the game-tying run on a productive infield out, scoring Johnstone from third base.
The Anteaters countered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 12-9 lead.
Fullerton wasn't done fighting. Niko Lombardi drove in Paul Contreras from second with an RBI single to left center field, cutting the deficit to 12-10.
The two teams combined to score 20 runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Fullerton looked to start another rally in the ninth inning as Latta hit a one-out double. However the Titans were unable to get anything else going. Latta went 4-for-5 on the day with three runs and two doubles.
The Titans now turn their attention to the Big West Championship beginning Wednesday at Goodwin Field. Fullerton locked up the No. 3 seed and will begin play Thursday against No. 2 seed Cal Poly at 7:00 p.m.
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