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STANFORD, Calif. — BYU’s first trip to the NCAA Baseball Tournament has taken a detour into the loser’s bracket.
No. 14 Cal State Fullerton pounded out a season-high 22 hits to roll to a 13-2 win over BYU in the Stanford regional opener Thursday afternoon.
Taylor Bryant, Hunter Cullen and Chris Prescott were each 2 for 3 for Cal State Fullerton.
Cullen blasted a two-run homer over the right-field wall to pace a three-run third inning to help Fullerton (35-21) pull away for good.
Starting pitcher Connor Seabold scattered eight hits and two runs with eight strikeouts before retiring after seven innings for the Titans.
Fullerton jumped out to an early lead after the first inning, driving in a pair of unearned runs during the three-run first that was all the scoring the Titans would need.
Cullen went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, and Dillon Persinger went 4 for 5 with an RBI and three runs scored for Fullerton.
Brock Hale was 3 for 4 with a run scored for the Cougars, and Nate Favero went 2 for 2 with an RBI double to lead BYU, which was appearing in its first NCAA regional since 2002.
Colton Shaver added a solo home run for the Cougars (37-20).
Starting pitcher Brady Corless took the loss, giving up four earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts as the first of six Cougar pitchers.
Favero smacked an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning to drive in Hale from second base. But the damage was done, as the Cougars already trailed 7-1 at that point.
BYU will face Sacramento State in an elimination game Friday at 2 p.m. MDT on ESPN3.
