Dirtbags End Season with Loss to San Diego

Sunday, June 1

Long Beach, Calif.

1:00 PM

Long Beach State University

38-21

San Diego

43-16

San Diego

Long Beach State

Shane Peterson finished the year with a team-best .390 average.

6/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

June 1, 2008

Box Score

49ers Eliminated As Toreros Win 5-1

LONG BEACH-- After pounding out 13 hits yesterday, the top-seeded Long Beach State (38-21) managed just six hits and was eliminated by the second-seeded Toreros from the University of San Diego (43-16) 5-1 Sunday afternoon in the Long Beach Regional at Blair Field.

Torero starter Ricardo Pecina (6-4) went seven strong innings striking out eight and not walking a batter to help USD advance into the championship round versus the fourth-seeded Fresno State Bulldogs at 5 pm Sunday. It will be a rematch of Saturday night's game in which the Bulldogs shutout the Toreros 6-0.

San Diego used a three-run ninth off 49ers closer Bryan Shaw with two outs to break open a one-run game. Right fielder James Meador roped a solid single up the middle plating two after Long Beach State looked as though they may have gotten out of the jam after shortstop Danny Espinosa made a bare-handed snag on a high chopper to force catcher Logan Gelbrich at the plate.

Chances were few and far between for the 49ers (38-21) who had what would have been the tying run thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the third inning. Torero shortstop Sean Nicol, who also had a pair of RBIs for San Diego in the first three innings, took a relay off an RBI double by 49ers left fielder Jonathan Jones and threw a strike to the plate to get Jordan Casas who was trying to score from first on the play.

Closer AJ Griffin came in to pitch the final two innings of relief for the Toreros and did not allow a base runner to notch his 14th save of the season.

Long Beach State starter Vance Worley (7-4) worked into the eighth allowing just two runs on ten hits while striking out four. Unfortunately, the 3-4-5 hitters for the 49ers were a combined 0-for-12 with three strikeouts.