Junior second baseman Jake Jefferies rounds first base after his single snuck through the left side in the third inning of the 3-0 victory over Pepperdine Tuesday at Goodwin Field.
(Matt Corkill / Daily Titan)
Cal State Fullerton extended their winning streak to four games and are now over .500 for the first time this season with their 3-0 shutout victory over the Pepperdine Waves at Goodwin Field on Tuesday night.
Freshman Connor Seabold got the starting nod against the Waves and shined, going four innings and allowing only two hits while striking out six.
“I thought that I kinda got away with some pitches, but I felt like I was able to keep guys off balance and do a good job out there tonight,” Seabold said of his performance. “I’ve been itching to get the start at some point this season. It feels pretty good that we’re winning and that we’re above .500 now and that weight’s off our back.”
The Waves threatened to score with two runners on second and third with only one out in the top of the seventh inning against sophomore reliever Maxwell Gibbs, but the Titans were bailed out by freshman Scott Hurst’s spectacular catch while slipping to end the rally.
“I thought Connor did a really good job, he came in throwing two pitches for strikes, pounding the strike zone with his fastball and for me that was just setting the tone and he passed it on to the next guy and they kept doing it for the four guys that pitched tonight,” said Assistant Coach Jason Dietrich of his pitchers.
The Titan bats were alive early and gave Seabold and the Titan bullpen all the run support they needed, jumping out to a 3-0 lead on eight hits over the first four innings. Collectively, the Titans racked up 11 strikeouts against the Waves.
“I thought our pitchers threw strikes and for the most part played really good (defense),” Dietrich said. “We had some good at-bats, we left some guys on base with runners on third base with less than two outs, but our guys are battling and that’s all we can ask.”
Offensively, the Titans were led by junior designated hitter David Olmedo-Barrera, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, a run scored and a stolen base.
“I was trying to keep the same thing, just staying on top of the ball, beat their infielders and try to get your pitch, not chase a lot of stuff,” Olmedo-Barerra said of his approach. “I got away from it a few at-bats, but came through when we needed it I guess.”
The aggressive, yet focused, approach at the plate has been effective for Titans over the winning streak, as they have collected 47 hits and 31 runs.
The offensive onslaught will need to continue this weekend if the Titans (6-5) hope to continue their winning streak against visiting powerhouse No. 5 Texas Tech (10-1). The baseball clubs will meet for a three-game home stand starting on Friday at 7 p.m. at Goodwin Field.
“We need to do what we do and, like I said, keep it simple, and not try to do too much. Just kinda go out there and … throw strikes, trust our defense, put quality at-bats together,” Dietrich said of the upcoming series. “We like challenges and that’s why we have this schedule—to play the good teams to see where we’re at, to challenge ourselves before conference.”