Tulane University
CSU Fullerton (College World Series)
Tulane Eliminated From 2001 College World Series
Jun 12, 2001 | Baseball
June 12, 2001
OMAHA, Neb. - Cal State Fullerton eliminated the Tulane baseball team from the 2001 College World Series with an 11-2 win on Tuesday afternoon. Tulane finished the year with a 56-13 record and the most successful season in school history.
Tulane was shut down by Titan starting pitcher Darric Merrell, who scattered six hits over eight innings. He gave up two runs, neither were earned. Merrell picked up his eighth win of the year.
For the first time in this College World Series the Green Wave failed to score first. Cal State Fullerton put up a pair of runs in the second and never looked back. Brett Kay lined a one-out hit into right center and stole second. Michael Aubrey struck out the next batter but a two-out double by Chris Stringfellow sent Kay home. The second run was added on a Louie Lamoure single into center. Lamoure was caught stealing to end the inning.
A leadoff walk by Aubrey cam back to haunt the Wave as the Titans manufactured a run in the third. Shawn Norris advanced to second on a single, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a Jason Corapci sacrifice fly into centerfield. Cal State Fullerton led the Green Wave 3-0.
The Titans extended the lead to 6-0 with a two out, three-run home run in the fourth inning by David Bacani.
After giving up the home run, Aubrey retired the next five batters. He escaped a bases loaded situation in the sixth and started the seventh. After giving up a lead off double, Aubrey was replaced by Barth Melius, who retired the side. Aubrey got his first loss of the season. He gave up six runs through 6 1/3 innings of work. Aubrey struck out five.
Fullerton's Bacani continued his tear against the Green Wave in the eighth inning with a two-run shot into the left center bleachers. The Titans held an 8-0 lead.
The Green Wave managed to foil the Cal State Fullerton shutout and scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. Anthony Giarratano reached on an error by the Titan third baseman, advanced to third on a Jon Kaplan single and scored on a Jake Gautreau ground out. Kaplan later scored on an Aubrey single.
The Titans scored three additional runs in the ninth and defeated the Wave 11-2.
Kaplan and Jay Heintz recorded a team high two hits each.
