April 18, 2001
Fullerton, CA - Shane Costa singled in Chris Stringfellow with two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning to lead 10th-ranked Cal State Fullerton to a 11-10 comeback win over UCLA in a nonconference baseball game at Goodwin Field Wednesday.
The Titans (28-10 overall), who trailed, 9-1, after five innings, extended their winning streak to 14 games -the longest current streak in the nation - and beat the Bruins (25-13) for the seventh straight time.
The five-hour, 54-minute affair featured a combined 13 pitchers, 43 hits, six home runs and 41 runners left on base, the latter just two shy of the NCAA record.
Fullerton's 14th-inning rally began with Stringfellow's two-out infield single. After stealing second, he scored when Costa ripped a line drive into left-center field off losing pitcher Mike Castillo (0-1).
The Titans scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth, one in the seventh and finally tied the game, 9-9, when Mike Rouse drilled a one-out solo home run in the ninth off Doug Silva.
UCLA first baseman Eric Reece led off the top of the 12th with a home run off Sean Martin to give the Bruins a 10-9 lead. In the Titans' half of the 12th, Rouse just beat out a potential game-ending double play that allowed Robert Guzman to score the tying run.
Fullerton nearly won the game in the bottom of the 13th after loading the bases with two outs. Aaron Rifkin laid down a bunt and a charging UCLA third baseman Randall Shelley barehanded the ball and threw out Rifkin in a "bang-bang" play.
Martin earned the win after throwing the final five innings and allowing just the one run on six hits. He threw 91 pitches, the most of any pitcher used in the game. Kirk Saarloos threw a perfect ninth inning in the game.
Stringfellow went 4-for-8 with two RBI and two runs in the game and Bacani, Guzman and Rouse each had three hits. Reece and Matt Pearl each had four hits for the Bruins.
Mike Kunes started the game for the Bruins as a last minute replacement for scheduled starter Jon Brandt. In 5.1 innings he allowed just three runs on seven hits, striking out two. It was the longest outing of the season for Kunes.
Fullerton will travel to Cal State Northridge for a three-game Big West Conference series this weekend. UCLA will play a three-game nonconference series at Kansas State.