No. 14 Bulldogs Fall to Titans in NCAA Super Regional, 9-3
Another night, another three-homerun-hero, and another victory for Cal State Fullerton as the Titans eliminated Mississippi State 9-3 in NCAA super regional play. The win sends #1-seeded Fullerton (46-16) to the College World Series after taking the best-of-three series in two games.
The Bulldogs ended their season 39-24 and for the second-straight year two games shy of Omaha after losing twice in super regionals.
After watching teammate Mike Rouse slug three home runs in Friday night's 13-2 win, Aaron Rifkin followed suit Saturday. The first baseman hit three balls out of Goodwin Park for one, two, and three RBI in turn. His first homer, a leadoff shot in the top of the second inning, put the Titans on the scoreboard. His second, a two-run blast in the third inning, pushed Fullerton in front 3-2
The last was a three-run blast in the seventh inning that broke the game open by a 8-3 score and finally sent State starter Paul Maholm out after 6.2 tough frames. The freshman lefthander gave up four longballs in all as Rouse hit his fourth homer of the series on a solo shot in the sixth inning. All but two of Fullerton's runs scored on homers.
Fullerton's prowess at the plate gave more than sufficient support to starting pitcher Darric Merrell. The freshman righthander survived a rocky opening inning to work into the seventh inning before turning the ball over to the Titan bullpen.
Merrell improved to 7-4 with the win, allowing all three State runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Maholm ended his freshman season 8-5 after giving up eight runs on nine hits, though he did strike out nine of the aggressive Titan batters.
The Bulldogs came out swinging too, tagging Merrell for leadoff singles by Michael Brown and Phillip Willingham. A walk of Jason Burkley on full-count filled the bases with no outs. Rouse robbed cleanup hitter Matt Brinson of a hit by going deep behind second base to start a double-play, but Brown was able to score from third base.
Enrico Jones then lined his first pitch into centerfield for a RBI-single and a 2-0 Mississippi State lead, and a first-pitch double by Brent Lewis had the stage set for a really big first inning with two Dogs in scoring positions. Merrell escaped by coaxing a pop-out from Steve Gendron.
The Bulldogs soon regretted not pressing their opportunity fully as Merrell got 14 outs in the next 15 batters he faced without allowing a base hit. Meanwhile Rifkin had gotten busy at the plate. He hit a 2-2 offering from Maholm out to open CSF's second inning. Then with two outs and a runner at first base after a walk Rifkin went over left-centerfield for a lead the Titans never lost.
Maholm sat down nine of his next ten six strikeouts until he ran into Rouse in the sixth inning. The shortstop had a pair of singles already but this time turned on the ball and pulled it out over rightfield for a 4-2 Fullerton margin. The home run looked larger as in the bottom of the inning Brinson ended Merrell's hitless string by lining a one-out triple off the wall in centerfield. A ground-out to shortstop by Enrico Jones plated him and pulled State within a run.
That was as close as they got. In the Titan seventh a leadoff single, bunt, and steal put Louie Lamoure on third base with one out. #1 hitter David Bacani doubled in the run with his double to centerfield. State thought the inning was done after Maholm got one strikeout and seemed to have a second on a full-count pitch to Jason Corapci.
But the first base umpire ruled a foul-tip on the swinging strikeout, and that Burkley did not catch the ball cleanly. Maholm walked Corapci and Rifkin got his chance to swing with men on base. He did, the ball left the park, the Titans had a 8-3 lead, and Maholm was finished.
So was Mississippi State. The Bulldogs got hits in their last three innings and had runners on the corners in the eighth frame. But Titan relievers Mike Nunez and Chad Cordero allowed nothing resembling a rally, and the game ended as senior Phillip Willingham's drive into centerfield was caught on a great diving effort by Chris Stringfellow.
Fullerton added an insurance run in their last inning as Robert Guzman tripled past Willingham and scored on a fly ball by Corapci. The Titans outhit the Bulldogs 11 to nine with six extra-base hits. Designated hitter Lewis had three of State's hits, outfielder Casey Long two.
Fullerton improved to 5-1 all-time against Mississippi State, with four of the wins in NCAA regional play.
The Bulldogs played the super regional without leading hitter and senior leftfielder Jon Knott, sidelined by an inflamed tendon in his left shin.