COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Titans Defeat Spartans, Keep Title Hopes Alive

Cal State Fullerton kept its conference title hopes alive by defeating San Jose State, 7-1, Saturday in a Big West Conference baseball game at Titan Field.

Dan Ricabal pitched an eight-hitter, posting his fifth complete game, and Jeff Ferguson had three hits and one run batted in for the Titans. Ricabal (11-2) struck out 10 and walked none.

Jim Betzsold hit a one-run homer, his eighth, in the bottom of the first to highlight a three-run inning for the Titans (33-15, 16-4 in conference). Fullerton remained tied for first with Cal State Long Beach (33-17, 16-4), a 2-1 winner over Nevada on Saturday at Blair Field.

Fullerton’s Tony Banks led off the fifth with a one-run homer, his 13th, and the Titans added another run in the inning to take a 5-0 lead.

Gerad Cawhorn, formerly of Marina High and Golden West College, hit a home run in the top of the sixth for San Jose State (32-19, 10-10). Cawhorn has driven in a run in eight consecutive games.

Fullerton and San Jose State conclude their three-game series today with a 1 p.m. game at Titan Field.

In nonconference baseball:

USC 9, Chapman 2--Rod Reimers had two hits and one RBI for Chapman (21-32). Aaron Boone, formerly of Villa Park, hit a home run for the Trojans.