March 11, 2006

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - For the second night in a row, No. 7 Cal State Fullerton shut out East Carolina, this time 8-0 behind a 3-for-4 performance by designated hitter Bryan Harris, who drove in a game-high four runners Saturday night at a frigid Goodwin Field.

The Titans, in their third shutout of the year, win their fourth consecutive game and improve to 13-6. East Carolina falls to 12-5, dropping their second straight game.

Lauren Gagnier was dominant from the hill tossing seven innings of two-hit baseball for the Titans while striking out seven Pirates without issuing a walk. The righty retired 15 of the last 16 hitters he faced and 21 of the 24 in the game, with the last hit he issued coming in the fourth inning by Adam Witter, a double to right field. Gagnier improves to 4-2 on the season, lowering his ERA to 2.74 from 3.28.

Fullerton got to ECU's Dustin Sasser for six runs and eight hits in just 3.2 innings, Sasser's shortest outing of 2006. The southpaw dropped to 3-2 on the year.

Fullerton scored twice in the first, one on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Jared Clark, and another when Blake Davis scored when Bryan Harris got caught in a run-down trying to steal second.

Harris blasted a two-run triple in the third inning, his second of his three hits on the night, to cap a three-run inning following an RBI single by Davis three batters earlier. Fullerton was cruising 5-0 after three.

Justin Turner drove in Evan McArthur who walked in the fourth extending the Titan lead to 6-0. Turner joined Harris and Davis with three hits each.

Harris added a another pair of RBI with a two-run single in the seventh chasing reliever Mike Flye who allowed two runs on one hit in just .1 of an inning.

Fullerton's Justin Klipp and Ryan Paul pitched the final two innings allowing just a hit while the two combined for two strikeouts.

The series finale will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Goodwin Field. Dustin Miller (3-1, 4.56 ERA) will be on the hill for the Titans looking to capture the team's third series sweep of the year. East Carolina will counter with Shane Mathews (0-1, 4.79 ERA).

NOTES: Titan shortstop Blake Davis extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a 3-for-4 performance Saturday night...Fullerton held ECU to just three hits on the night, a season low for the Fullerton pitching staff