A balk on the fourth pitch of an intentional walk to Cal State Fullerton's
Bobby Andrews plated Danny Dorn with the game-winning run as the Titans
won a wild and contorversial 3-2 decision over Arizona State on Friday
night in front of a sell-out crowd of 3,654 at Goodwin Field.
Fullerton improved to 46-16 overall and took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three
Super Regional, needing only one more victory to earn a berth in the College
World Series for the third consecutive season. Arizona State fell to 37-23
overall.
With the Titans trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, Brett Pill
led off the frame with a double down the left field line that glanced
off the ASU third baseman's glove.
He was followed by Danny Dorn, who singled on a bunt between the pitcher
and third base, moving Pill to third. That marked the end of the night
for reliever Brent Bordes (5-6) in favor of Zechry Zinicola, who plated
the tying run when his pickoff attempt to first went wild, scoring Pill
and moving Dorn to third base.
Ronnie Prettyman was then walked intentionally to put runners on the corners
and Zinicola was in the process of intentionally walking Andrews when,
on the fourth pitch of the walk, the third base umpire charged Zinicola
with the balk to score Dorn and clinch the victory for the Titans.
"It was a violation of rule 9-3j (which says) the pitcher has to
come to a complete and discernable stop," crew chief and second base
umpire Paul Guillie said following the game. "The call was made on
the 3-0 count. The third base umpire made the call."
Offense was hard to come by for Fullerton all night as ASU right-hander
Jason Urquidez held the Titans to just one run on two hits through 7 2/3
innings, walking four and striking out six.
Bordes was charged with the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) in one-third
of an inning of work.
Ricky Romero (13-5) earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits, walking
one and striking out seven in his second complete game of the season.
Fullerton took the early lead in the second inning, as Ronnie Prettyman
smacked his eighth home run of the year down the right field line with
one out to give the Titans the 1-0 advantage.
Romero cruised through the first three innings, retiring the first nine
batters he faced until hitting Jeff Larish to lead off the fourth. Larish
was followed by Buck to the plate, who sent a 1-1 offering from Romero
over the rightfield fence, giving ASU the lead.
The Titans managed just four baserunners from that point until the ninth-inning
rally.
Fullerton's 1-5 hitters went hitless (0-for-16) through the first eight
innings before Pill (No. 4 hitter) and Dorn (No. 5 hitter) led off the
ninth with back-to-back hits. Prettyman and John Curtis had the other
two hits for the Titans.
Buck went 2-for-4 to lead Arizona State's offense while J.J. Sferra had
the Sun Devils' other knock.
The two teams meet on Saturday (June 11) at 4 p.m. in game two of the
series. Arizona State will be the designated home team for the game.
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