Pepperdine and Cal State Fullerton Box Score (April 20, 2010) 
FULLERTON, Calif. - Fifth-year senior Ryan Heroy (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley HS) established a career high with four hits, including an RBI double, Tuesday night during a 12-5 loss at No. 16 Cal State Fullerton.
Heroy entered tonight's game - the start of which was delayed 30 minutes due to rain - with 10 three-hit efforts, but he was able to collect three singles through his first four at-bats before crushing an RBI double off the center field wall in his final at-bat.
The 6-foot-6 first baseman also scored a run, but despite all the offense he and several of his teammates produced it wasn't enough to keep pace with a Titans' squad that clubbed 15 hits and scored in every inning but one. Pepperdine finished the night with 11 base hits.
The loss dropped Pepperdine's record to 13-19 and evened their series with Fullerton (21-13) at one game apiece. The two schools complete their three-game season-long series in Malibu during one of their May homestands.
After allowing two first-inning runs, the Waves responded with three in the second. Junior Harrison Kain (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks HS) and sophomore Nate Johnson (Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo HS) led off the frame with back-to-back extra-base hits to the outfield corners to cut the Titans' lead to 2-1, and then the tying run was walked in with one out.
Senior Colin Rooney (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice, beating out the relay throw on a potential 6-4-3 double-play ball.
The Waves lost their lead for good in the bottom of the second and wouldn't get closer than two runs after scoring on Johnson's fifth-inning fielder's choice RBI. Fullerton built its lead back to three at 7-4 on a Nick Ramirez RBI single in the bottom half of its inning before putting the game away for good with a four-run sixth.
Sophomore starter Aaron Gates (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS) suffered the loss, which dropped his record to 2-6. Fullerton's Kevin Rath improved to 2-1 with the victory.
Pepperdine returns home this weekend for the first time since April 6 with a big three-game series vs. Portland, which currently stands atop the West Coast Conference standings at 8-1. The Waves are several games behind the Pilots at 3-2.
Friday's game, which should pit two of the conference's best starting pitchers - Matt Bywater and Zach Varce - against one another, starts at 3 p.m. PST.
Cal State Fullerton 12, Pepperdine 5 (Apr 20, 2010 at Fullerton, CA)
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Pepperdine.......... 030 010 001 - 5 11 2 (13-19)
Cal State Fullerton. 221 114 01X - 12 15 0 (21-13)
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Pitchers: Pepperdine - Gates, Aaron; NAJERA, Alex(5); VILLARREAL, Ricky(7); LUVISI, Jordan(8)
and Johnson, Nate. Cal State Fullerton - Rath; Floro, D.(5); Hurlbut(8); Dingeman(9) and Tanida
.
Win-Rath(2-1) Loss-GATES, Aaron(2-6) T-2:51 A-1157
Weather: 58, wet
