Sixth Inning Rally Leads Beach to Series

Saturday, March 1

Long Beach, Calif.

2:00 PM

Long Beach State University

4-2

Wichita State

3-2

Wichita State

Long Beach State

3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 1, 2008

Box Score

LONG BEACH-- Jason Corder's first at-bat of 2008 was a big one, as his two-run double as part of a five-run sixth inning led No. 10-ranked Long Beach State (4-2) to the series win over No. 7-ranked Wichita State (3-2) following an 8-5 win. The pinch-hitter had missed the first five games with a knee injury.

Jason Tweedy and Corder ignited a five-run sixth inning to give LBSU a 7-4 lead. Trailing 4-2 to start the inning, the Dirtbags loaded the bases, before Tweedy hit a ball over right fielder Ryan Jones' head to tie it at 4-4. Corder then followed with a double to left center to make it 6-4. A bases loaded hit by pitch by reliever Logan Hoch then made it 7-4.

LBSU, which finished with 13 hits, have 26 over their two wins versus the Shockers, after having 25 over the first four games of the series.

Chris Nelson's bunt single with a runner on third in the seventh then made it 8-5 as each team exchanged runs in the seventh.

Vance Worley (1-0) pitched into the seventh for the win, giving up five runs (four earned) on 12 hits. Jason Markovitz got a key popup with a runner on second in a 7-5 game in the seventh, before Tyler Topp pitched the next 1.1 shutout innings, striking out three. David Roberts got the final three outs for the save.

Aaron Shafer (1-1) was roughed up for six runs on eight hits over 5.1 innings, as LBSU sent 11 men to the plate in the sixth against three WSU pitchers.

Wichita State took leads of 2-1 and 4-2, off a two-run home run by Dusty Coleman in the second and a two-run single by Conor Gillaspie in the fifth.

The Series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. with LBSU freshman Jacob Thompson (0-1, 1.50) opposing WSU's Tim Kelley (1-0, 2.25). The Dirtbags close out the home stand with LMU this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with Topp starting.