BIG WEST BASEBALL TOURNAMENT : Billingsley’s Arm Pushes the Titans Past Long Beach

FULLERTON — A strong pitching performance by Brent Billingsley, some timely hits and error-free defensive play put Cal State Fullerton back on the winning track Friday night.

The Titans turned back top-seeded Long Beach State, 3-1, in the opening round of the Big West tournament after losing two of three games to the 49ers in the regular-season series two weeks ago in Long Beach.

The victory moved Fullerton (42-10) into today’s winners’ bracket game against Nevada Las Vegas at 3:05 p.m. at Titan Field. Long Beach, which fell to 32-23, meets UC Santa Barbara today at 11:05 a.m. in an elimination game.

The Fullerton-Long Beach game was a sellout an hour before it began, and the crowd of 2,468 broke the Titan Field attendance record set last year in a game against Long Beach by 12.

“The difference in the game was those four double plays we made and the tone Billingsley set from the mound,” said Titan Coach Augie Garrido. “We had only 12 double plays in our last 15 conference games, and this really turned that around.”

Billingsley (11-1) gave up seven hits and struck out eight. His only loss of the season came against Long Beach in the first game of the regular-season series. Marcus Jones (9-4), the Big West pitcher of the year, took the loss, giving up six hits and all three runs in 6 2/3 innings. Fullerton had seven hits for the game, Long Beach eight.

The 49ers threatened in the bottom of the ninth. Billingsley loaded the bases when he walked Neil Sauerheber, gave up and single to Jeff Tagliaferri and hit pinch-hitter Casey Snow after a strikeout.

Luis Estrella came on in relief, and gave up a single to Will Skett that drove in one run. But Estrella got pinch hitter J.J. Newkirk to bounce into a game-ending double play It was Estrella’s fourth save.

“We had a very good game offensively,” Garrido said. “It just didn’t show as much as you might expect as hard as we hit the ball. It was a good team effort all the way. We played really hard.”

Two runs in the first got Fullerton off on the right foot. Leadoff batter Skip Kiil doubled down the left-field line, and Mark Kotsay walked with one out. Jones struck out Jeremy Giambi for the second out, but Kotsay stole second when Jones took much time holding the runner at third after catching Kotsay off first with a pickoff move.

Brian Loyd’s hard-hit ground ball went through shortstop Jason Knupfer’s legs, scoring Kiil and Kotsay. It was ruled a hit. “That was big,” Garrido said.

Long Beach loaded the bases on Billingsley in the bottom of the first. Will Skett walked and moved to second on a sacrifice before Billingsley hit Jason Knupfer. Jason Hodges’ infield hit loaded the bases, but Casey Martin grounded into a double play, ending the inning.

Tagliaferri singled off Billingsley in the second, but another double play ended the inning.

The Titans added another run in the fourth, getting their first runner on base after two were out. Designated hitter Scott Seal singled, then Mike Lamb fouled off a series of two-strike pitches before finally working Jones for a walk. Tony Martinez lashed a ground ball up the middle that Al Watson fielded behind second base.

Seal, who never stopped when he rounded third, scored on the infield hit for a 3-0 Titan lead. Watson’s throw to first was low for an error, allowing Lamb to take third, but Jones got out of the inning without further damage.

* SOME REWARD: As regular-season champions, Long Beach draws Fullerton--and it is no fun. C8

* KOTSAY REPEATS: The Titans’ Mark Kotsay is the Big West Conference’s player of the year. C8