Freshman catcher Chris Hudgins takes a hack at a pitch and misses. The Titan bats whiffed 26 times this weekend to the Indiana Hoosiers pitchers in the three-game series. Cal State Fullerton was swept in the series and is now on a four-game losing streak.
(Amanda Sharp / Daily Titan File Photo)
The No. 23 Cal State Fullerton baseball team is now in the midst of a four-game losing streak after getting swept in their trip to Indiana over the weekend at Bart Kaufman Field.
After weather delayed the series, the Titans started on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Hoosiers. However, Indiana clinched the series with a pair of wins.
The Titans (9-9) came out swinging as the series opened plating four on 11 hits in the first game, but were plagued by mental errors both on the field defensively and on the basepaths.
Junior ace Thomas Eshelman (2-2) got the no-decision after being on the mound for eight innings while he tied a career-high 10 hits allowed and a season-high of four earned runs.
The Titans rallied in the top of the ninth inning after freshman Tanner Buis led the inning off with a single to left before having sophomore Hunter Cullen come in to pinch run for him. Sophomore Timmy Richards was hit by a pitch and junior Josh Vargas reached on a throwing error to load the bases with nobody out.
Unfortunately for the Titans, the rally was abruptly ended after junior Tyler Stieb struck out and junior David Olmedo-Barrera was called out for batter’s interference after Cullen collided with Hoosier catcher Brad Hartong. The double play ended the Titan rally with the game still tied 4-4, sending the game into extras.
Defensively, the Titans committed four errors in game one with three at the bottom of the 10th, including the walk-off error that allowed the Hoosiers to take game one of the series 5-4.
Game two proved to be a pitchers duel as Titan junior Justin Garza (1-1) battled for six innings, allowing only one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts against the collective Hoosier bullpen that threw four pitchers at the Titans for the combined shutout. The Hoosiers recorded 12 strikeouts with Brian Hobbie (2-0) picking up the win and clinching the weekend series 2-0.
Offensively, the Titans struggled at the plate, striking out 12 times and stranding 10 on base with seven of those runners in scoring position to bring the total from the doubleheader to 18 strikeouts and 17 left on the basepaths.
On Sunday morning, the Hoosiers (12-4) completed the series sweep in their 10-4 victory over the Titans.
The Titans kept it close throughout the game, exchanging leads in the middle innings, but the bullpen came apart in the sixth when freshman Connor Seabold (1-1) loaded the bases in relief after issuing a single, a walk and another single to load the bases for the Hoosiers.
Senior Tyler Peitzmeier walked in the tying run before allowing the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to left to put the Hoosiers up for good at 5-4. The Hoosiers added five more insurance runs over the next two innings to end the series with a 10-4 win.
CSUF struck out eight more times and stranded another seven runners throughout the game.
The Titans will look to snap the current losing skid when they return home to host Cal State Bakersfield (11-8) Wednesday at Goodwin Field with first pitch at 6 p.m.