The Beavers had Cal State Fullerton at their fingertips until the bottom of the ninth, when a routine fly ball between John Wallace and Darwin Barney was dropped in shallow left field. That should of been the Beavers' 27th out, but it gave Fullerton new life. They got runners to first and third, but pinch hitter Joel Weeks (pinch hitting for Joe Scott) grounded out to Darwin Barney at shortstop to end the inning. Here's that play:
The Beavers were in control for much of the beginning of the game. Lissman's home run to left in the first inning was a huge boost to our team, and when Scott Santschi took the first pitch he saw from Wes Roemer into center field for an RBI in the third, the Beavers took a 2- lead.
Santschi homered in the seventh, his first of the year, to give the Beavers a 3-1 lead after the Titans scored a run on a home run in the third to put themselves on the board.
Jorge Reyes was great on the mound. In by far the most thrilling start of his life, he went six innings, giving up three hits and one run. Joe Patterson went 2 and two thirds, giving up a run and two hits. Big Eddie came in to close out the game, and avoided a scare by recording the last out of the game.
JoePa
This game was also characterized by (mostly) lights out defense. Joey Wong and Darwin Barney up the middle had some great plays, as well as the double play they combined for in the fourth inning. If you're in Omaha, there is a picture of Joey Wong turning that double play on the back of the Omaha World-Herald sports page. It was also #2 on Baseball Tonight's top plays. The last play of the game you saw in the video above was not an easy play either. With runners on first and third, if Darwin throws that away, Fullerton ties the game and sets themselves up to win.
Mitch Canham and Lonnie Lechelt tag out a CSF runner, and prevented a run.
Barney and Wong turn a double play during infield.
There was one slip-up that I'm sure we all know about, and that was the pop fly to shallow left field. Here's what I think happened: Darwin is going back on it, and when the ball starts to come down, he realizes that the ball is deeper than he thought, and that John Wallace should be able to catch it no problem. Meanwhile, I think John Wallace was going to let Darwin catch the ball, and when he peeled off towards center, John was surprised and was unable to react in time.
I had a video of this play as well, but I accidentally erased it when I was trying to play it back on my camera. Besides, it was an error in a game we won, so who really cares now.
This win will set the Beavers up with Arizona State on Monday. They took care of UC Irvine 5-4, thanks to a home run in the late innings of the game for Arizona State. We sat down the left field line for that game.
GO BEAVERS!
--JB--