Fullerton’s Mayne Keeps Streak Alive, as Does Fresno State, 3-2

Brent Mayne hit a sharp line drive just inside the third-base bag for a single in the fourth inning, extending his hitting streak to 29 straight games.

So much for the good news for Cal State Fullerton’s baseball team in its Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game against Fresno State Friday night.

Fullerton dropped a 3-2 decision to Fresno in front of an overflow crowd of 1,000 at Titan Field. The Titans needed to sweep the three-game series with the Bulldogs in order to have a shot at winning a second consecutive PCAA championship.

After Friday’s loss, though, the Titans’ chances look bleak.

Fullerton (35-12 overall, 12-4 and in second place in PCAA play) fell four games behind conference-leading Fresno (47-6, 16-0).

Fullerton’s Mark Beck (8-4) is scheduled to face Fresno’s Erik Schullstrom (10-1) in Game 2 tonight at 7 at Fullerton.

Friday, the Titans, fifth in the latest rankings by Baseball America, came agonizingly close to beating the second-ranked Bulldogs.

But an eighth-inning home run by catcher Brandon Mitchell broke a 2-2 deadlock and gave Fresno its 30th consecutive win.

The victory also preserved John Salles’ perfect record. Salles (13-0) struck out seven and gave up seven hits in going the distance. Salles, a junior right-hander, struggled at times, but Fullerton just couldn’t get a key hit.

Fullerton starter Longo Garcia (8-4) gave up 13 hits, including the game-winning homer by Mitchell, but was strong enough to pitch a complete game.

Ed Bustamante, Fresno’s designated hitter, was particularly troublesome. Bustamante went 4 for 4 with 3 singles and a double and scored twice.

“It was a well-played game by two good ballclubs,” Fullerton Coach Larry Cochell said. “We had a chance, but we left too many runners on base. Longo pitched well.”

But, Cochell said, the key was that the Titans couldn’t give the knock-out blow to Salles.

“We couldn’t put him away,” Cochell said. “One hit in a couple of situations would have broken the game open.”

Fullerton loaded the bases in the third but could only get one run, tying the score at 1-1. Mike Ross struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.

In the sixth, the Titans left the bases loaded again. This time, however, the Titans couldn’t even push a single run across. Greg Mannion grounded out to end that threat.

The capper came in the ninth, however.

With two out and Mark Razook, who got aboard on a lead-off single, on third, Rex Peters flied out deep to right to end the game.

“I wasn’t sure at first,” Salles said, afraid that he might have given up a game-winning home run, “but I saw (right fielder Steve) Hosey waving his arms that he had it.”