Dirtbags stomp Titans, lead Big West

Both Cal State Long Beach an Cal State Fullerton came into this past weekend's three-game series tied for first place in the Big West Conference. In the end, only one of them would come out as the leader of the pack.

That result was decided in the rubber game on Sunday. And the first-place team is The Dirtbags. The 49ers powered themselves past the Titans 9-6 in front of 2,643 in attendance at Blair Field.

CSULB (30-19, 13-5) stomped on the Titans 9-6 (39-10, 12-6) early and fended off constant CSF pressure throughout the game to win the game and the series.

"We made some big plays," Head Coach Dave Snow said. "Uncharacteristically, we had a big inning and stayed away from giving them the big innings. We did great things with two outs. Everybody chipped in. Any wins are valuable this time of the year. It's l ike money in the NCAA regional bank."

The 49ers trailed 1-0, going into the bottom of the first inning, when CSF's centerfielder Mark Kotsay drove in designated hitter Jerome Alviso with an RBI-infield single.

With one out, shortstop Jason Knupfer singled. Up came DH Jason Hodges, who hit a mammoth home run over the right-field wall. It was Hodges's fourth of the season.

The power didn't stop there. With two outs in the inning, catcher Casey Snow doubled and third baseman Keith Cowley walked. The, left-fielder J.J. Newkirk, a man not exactly known for his home run prowess seeing how he hadn't one all season, crushed Titan s, starting pitcher Kirk Irvine's (10-3) pitch over the wall in right-field.

The Dirtbags seemed in command with a 5-1 lead.

CSULB then added another run in the third in quite an unconventional fashion.

Snow again doubled with two outs in the inning. Cowley then struck out swinging and thus ending the inning. But one problem, Luis Estrella, in relief of Irvine, threw a wild pitch allowing Snow to advance to third.

And, when Titan catcher Brain Lloyd overthrew his first baseman trying to throw Cowley out, Snow scored on the throwing error.

For once, the Dirtbags were getting all the bounces.

The 49ers stretched their lead to 8-1 as Hodges doubled in two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The game looked locked up.

But a lead is never safe with the kind of line-up the Titans put on the field. CSF slowly began creeping its way back into the game. The Titans added two runs in the top of the fifth. But it could have been more if it weren't for some fancy pitching by left-hander Justin Siegel who replaces starter Steve Hueston (4-3) with one out.

He came in with the bases loaded and one run in. Siegel promptly walked in the dangerous Kotsay on four pitches only to face another terror at the place in right-fielder Jeremy Giambi. Siegel induced Giambi into an inning-ending double play ending the Tit an rally.

In the top of the sixth, the CSF again threatened to have a typical Titan's big inning but the pitching of Kyle Wilson prevented that.

With a runner on first and no one out, he gave up a double to Lloyd and walked second baseman Mike Lamb loading the bases. Then Wilson got third baseman Tony Martinez to ground into another double play. It did score a run, cutting the 49er lead to 8-4 bu t Wilson recorded the third out of the inning thus thwarting another Titan comeback.

CSULB scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eight. Hodges, with two outs was the man of the day. He collected his fifth RBI as he doubled in centerfielder Will Skett from second base.

The Dirtbags brought Ryan Brannan to close out the game. He was shaky in all three innings he pitched but Brannan got the job done and collected his 11th save. He gave two runs in the top of the ninth but the defending national champions could get no clos er.

The 49ers lead the conference with three games to play.