Alviso’s Hitting Keeps Titans in Hunt for Big West Title

LONG BEACH — Cal State Fullerton was on the brink of elimination twice against Nevada in the Big West baseball tournament Friday, but the Titans kept coming back.

Fullerton tied the score with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, then scored two runs in the 11th for a 10-9 victory over the Wolf Pack. The victory kept the Titans in the running for an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs if they don’t win the tournament title.

Jerome Alviso was a leader on the field and off to help lift the Titans (35-22-1) to their fourth victory of the season over Nevada without a loss. Alviso was six for six and scored three runs, including the game-winner.

The Titans will meet Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 3 p.m. today. The winner advances to Sunday’s round; the loser is eliminated.

Alviso pushed a bunt between third and the mound for a hit in the 11th after Aaron Rowand had singled to give the Titans runners at first and second with one out. Outfielder Chris Beck singled to center, scoring Rowand and sending Alviso to third. The winning run scored when third baseman Andy Dominique tried to get Beck at second. His errant throw bounced off Beck into center field, and Alviso came home, ending the four-hour marathon.

When the Titans were a run down in the ninth, it was Alviso who challenged his teammates to rally, then drove in the tying run after Mike Lamb had doubled.

“I looked them all in the eye and asked them if they thought we could score just one run with three outs, and we all said we could,” Alviso said. “I told the team I knew we could do it, and all of a sudden it was me standing up there.”

Nevada (38-18) came back for a run in the top of the 11th on Dominique’s hit and a triple by Lyle Overbay, but the Titans rallied one more time.

“I knew we were going to get something going,” Rowand said. “It was a team effort all the way. I knew this team wasn’t ready to take its jerseys off yet.”

Titan Coach George Horton said his team’s chances of an NCAA at-large bid probably would have been in jeopardy if the Titans had lost a second consecutive tournament game. The Titans lost to Pacific and Dan Reichert, the conference’s top pitcher, in the first round Thursday.

“This was a street fight,” Horton said. “We were lucky that we won the coin flip and had the last at-bat because it was that kind of game.”

Nevada Coach Gary Powers said Alviso was the key. “He had a great game,” Powers said. “And he gave them the runner they needed to win the game. He was their catalyst.”

But there were other key efforts.

Lamb had four hits and scored two runs. Beck had three hits, including the big one in the 11th. “Chris had some frustrating at-bats earlier when we thought he was going to do something,” Horton said. “He’s been one of our spark plugs since we put him in the lineup. He’s relaxing more now, and doing better.”

Pitcher Mike Greenlee picked up his fifth victory of the season in six decisions in relief. Horton had to go to his closer in the sixth inning to try to slow Nevada. Greenlee held Nevada to four hits and three runs in the final 5 2/3 innings while striking out six.

Starter Matt Wise pitched the first five innings, giving up five runs on six hits.