Feb. 17, 2007

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - A complete-game shutout by junior right-hander Jeff Kaplan highlighted Cal State Fullerton's 9-0 non-conference victory Saturday night at Goodwin Field.

The win lifts the Titans to 6-2 overall and snaps Arizona's nine-game winning streak, dropping them to 9-1 on the year. Even more impressive, the Titans snap an 82-game period (since 2005) in which the Wildcats had not been shut out.

Kaplan set down 11 of the last 13 Wildcats he faced and struck out a career-high 11 batters to earn the Titans' first complete game shutout since May 26, 2006 (Wes Roemer). The righty surrendered just 6 hits and allowed just one Arizona runner to reach third base. With the shutout, Kaplan improves his record to 2-0 and lowers his ERA from 7.04 to 3.24.

Back-to-back extra-base hits in the first off Arizona starter Brad Mills (2-1) would plate the first two Titan runs to set the tone for the night and hand Arizona's pitcher his first loss. Chris Jones reached on the first of five Arizona errors, then Nick Mahin drove him home with a triple to right-center. Mahin would immediately walk home as senior John Curtis extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a towering double off the right-centerfield wall. A Joe Scott single drove home the Titans' third run of the game in the second inning, scoring Clark Hardman from second base.

Fullerton used 11 batters and scored six times in the bottom half of the third, eventually knocking Mills from the game, but not before he surrendered two runs and left the bases loaded for reliever Brett Lorin. Lorin came in and surrendered consecutive run-scoring hits to Khris Davis (RBI-single), Hardman (two-run single) and Scott (RBI-double), with three of the four runs being charged to the starter. Mills lasted just 2 1/3, surrendering eight runs (five earned) on six hits while issuing a pair of walks.

A lone offensive highlight for the Wildcats came in the second inning when T.J. Steele blasted a double off the glove of Jones in right field, extending his hitting streak to 18 games dating back to last season.

Scott, Mahin, and Bryan Harris each had a pair of hits, and Scott and Hardman each drove in two to pace the Titan offense. Brad Glenn and Steele led the Arizona squad with two hits each.

The rubber match of the three-game series will be tomorrow as Sean Urena (0-0, 7.00 ERA) will go for the Titans, while the Wildcats will counter with David Coulon (2-0, 1.80 ERA) at 1 p.m.