Espinosa Leads to Series Sweep

Sunday, February 5

Long Beach, Calif.

12:00 PM

Long Beach State University

3-0

USC

0-3

USC

Long Beach State

2/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Dirtbags Comeback to Sweep Series
Espinosa Comes Through with Game-Winning Triple in the Eighth

February 5, 2006

BOX SCORE

LONG BEACH, CA-- Danny Espinosa laced a two-run triple off of All-American closer Paul Koss (0-2) in the eighth inning, leading No. 16-ranked Long Beach State to its first-ever three-game sweep of No. 17-ranked USC (0-3), coming back from five runs down to win 8-6.

Espinosa went 3-for-5 on the day, while fellow freshman Kip Masuda added three hits. Andrew Liebel (1-0) pitched a scoreless one and one-third inning of relief, before Brett Andrade pitched a perfect ninth for his second save of the weekend.

The Dirtbags chipped away at the five-run lead by the Trojans, scoring on an RBI by Masuda in the fifth, before a sacrifice fly and RBI single from Scott Bradley made it 5-3 in the sixth. Donnie Hume meanwhile gave up one run on five hits over three and one-third innings of relief to keep the came close, at 6-3.

LBSU then got to Koss for the second-straight day, as yesterday's hero, Sean Boatright, picked up a bases loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch to make it 6-4. Brandon Godfrey's pinch-hit, two-run single then tied it at 6-6. John Dunn gave up three runs in the inning, before yielding to Koss. An inning later Espinosa followed with his two-out base hit.

Vance Worley was roughed up in his first collegiate start, giving up five runs (four earned) over three and one-third innings, as USC took a 5-0 lead after four innings. USC scored an unearned run in the first, added two runs in the third off a two-run double from Shawn Olsen and then went up 5-0 in the fourth with two more runs.

Ryan Cook gave up three runs over seven hits over five and two-third innings, and left with a 5-3 lead.

Danny Espinosa was twice robbed by left fielder Cyle Hankerd, as Hankerd made a diving catch in the first and ran down a ball in the fourth. Hankerd then threw out the potential fourth run at the plate and ended the sixth inning.

The Dirtbags travel to California to start a three-game series in the San Francisco Bay Area next Friday. The roadtrip begins a seven-game road trip for The Beach.


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