Late Titan Rally Leads to Upset Over UC Irvine
April 6, 2008
IRVINE, Calif. --- Cal State Fullerton scored four runs in the seventh to erase a 4-1 deficit and went on to upset No. 4 UC Irvine with a 6-4 win in the series finale Sunday at Anteater Ballpark. The series loss was the Anteaters first of the season as the team dropped to 20-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big West. The Titans climbed to 18-10 and 4-2 in league play.
The Anteaters led 4-0 through five innings as starter Daniel Bibona held CSUF to just two hits and struck out six in the first three innings. UCI scored twice in the second on a two-run single by infielder Josh Tavelli. First baseman Jeff Cusick doubled in Ben Orloff in the third and designated hitter Tony Asaro drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth to cap the scoring for UCI.
Cal State Fullerton got on the board in the sixth on Christian Colon' single to score Josh Fellhauer. The Titans batted around in the seventh, stringing together four straight RBI hits with Colon driving in the eventual-game winning run with a single to center. Catcher Dustin Garneau's sacrifice in the eighth plated the final Titan run.
UCI reliever Tom Calahan fell to 0-1 with the loss while CSF starter Cory Arbiso picked up the win (5-2) after pitching seven innings and striking out five while giving up four runs on seven hits. Travis Kelly collected his first save with two hitless innings in relief.
Bibona pitched his longest collegiate outing, lasting 6.2 innings while surrendering four runs on eight hits. Sophomore Christian Bergman allowed a run on three hits in 2.1 innings of relief.
