Aggies Edge Dirtbags 5-4 to Even Series

Saturday, May 3

Davis, Calif.

1:00 PM

Long Beach State University

27-16, 0

UC Davis

28-16, 0

Long Beach State

UC Davis

Danny Espinosa Made Three Nice Plays at Short Today

5/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 3, 2008

Box Score

DAVIS-- No. 23-ranked Long Beach State (27-16, 9-5 Big West) sent the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but UC Davis (28-16, 8-6 Big West) and closer Justin Fitzgerald held on, to even the series, 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.

Fitzgerald recorded his ninth save after LBSU had Jonathan Jones thrown out at the plate and the Dirtbags sent the tying and go-ahead runs to the plate.

The Aggies took a 3-2 lead in the seventh following three runs, as they shut the door on LBSU with Andy Suiter (3-0), who struck out four over 2.1 innings of relief work, before turning to Fitzgerald in the ninth.

Jonathan Jones led off the ninth with an infield single, before Steve Tinoco doubled down the right field line, sending Jones towards home, only to have Jones get tripped up and thrown out at the plate on the ensuing relay.

Following a wild pitch, the third of the game by the Aggies, an RBI groundout by Jason Corder made it 5-4. Shane Peterson walked before Fitzgerald got Danny Espinosa to ground out to record his record-setting ninth save.

Vance Worley's (5-3) luck ran out in the seventh, as Ryan Royster's infield single tied it at 3-3, before a two-run double by Evan Hudson made it 5-3. Worley had retired 12 in a row earlier in the contest, settling down after 41 pitches over the first two innings, before UCD tied it at 2-2 in the fifth. He was twice given one-run leads in the contest, but each time UCD figured out a way to tie it.

UCD starter Brad McAtee was his own worse enemy, as his two wild pitches scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings, while his error on a bunt in the sixth, led to a 3-2 lead for LBSU in the sixth.

Espinosa made three nice plays at short early, including a bare handed pickup to end the fourth after LBSU tied it in the top of the inning off a McAtee wild pitch. Another McAtee wild pitch on the first pitch of an intentional walk made it 2-1 following a passed ball. A sacrifice fly then made it 3-2 in the sixth, after McAtee's error put runners on the corners with no outs in the sixth.

The finale of the three-game series will be on Sunday at 1 p.m. RHP Jake Thompson (2-4, 4.72) will oppose Aggie RHP Bryan Evans (3-2, 5.19) in the finale. LBSU returns home on Tuesday to host Fresno State at 6 p.m., before hosting UC Santa Barbara next weekend.

FARM REPORT
21 Former Players in the Minor Leagues
Mike Gallo has a 1.74 ERA in 10 relief appearances for Toronto's Double-A affiliate... Jeremy Reed is batting .525 over his last 10 games to up his average and is batting .389 for Triple-A Tacoma... Carlos Muniz continues to not allow a run on the season, either in the Majors or in seven minor league appearances for Triple-A New Orleans... opponents are batting .115 against Muniz... LBSU has six players in Triple-A this week (Cesar Ramos-Padres, Kasey Olenberger-Angels, Muniz-Mets, Evans-Diamondbacks, Jeff Liefer-White Sox, Reed-Mariners).