Dirtbags fall against Cal 11-8

Friday, February 27

Long Beach, Calif.

6:30 PM

Long Beach State University

2-3

California

4-2

California

Long Beach State

TJ Mittelstaedt was three-for-four with a double and two RBI.

2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 27, 2009

Box Score

Long Beach, Calif. - Long Beach State pulled out to an 8-4 lead on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series with Cal, but a comeback by the Bears would tie the score at 8 in the sixth and would eventually prevail with a three-run ninth.

Cal was also helped by five Long Beach State errors in the contest, leading to seven unearned runs for the Golden Bears, despite eight runs and 11 hits for the Dirtbags.

Long Beach State got things going in the first, capitalizing on some early wildness from Cal starter Kevin Miller, who walked four batters in the inning, including walking in a run with the fourth. A double-play by the Bears helped stifle the rally, and The Beach was held to one run.

Cal answered with a run in the opening inning, but Long Beach State would again load the bases in the second inning, and a mishandled popup to first base would bring in two more runs, as Long Beach State moved ahead 3-1.

The teams would continue to trade runs, as the Dirtbags chased Miller out of the game after 2.2 innings pitched, while Tyler Topp would go three and a third, allowing three earned runs.

Long Beach State looked to break the game open in the fourth however, as Jonathan Jones led off the inning with a walk, and Devin Lohman would double bringing home the first run with one out. A single by Taylor Krick would move Lohman to third, and he scored after stealing home on a failed squeeze bunt attempt. Two more runs would come home after John Hill was hit by a pitch, Rylan Sandoval walked, and TJ Mittelstaedt doubled to right, the first of three hits for Long Beach State's designated hitter.

Cal would recover however, adding a run in the fifth and then three unearned runs in the sixth, as Michael Brady reached on an error, and the Dirtbags would college two outs before consecutive doubles by Jeff Kobernus and Blake Smith tied the game, bringing home three more runs to make the score 8-8 at the end of the sixth.

The pace of the game then slowed, as both bullpens took over from the frenetic scoring in the early half of the game. Long Beach State threatened to break the tie, putting two runners in scoring position with two outs, but Cal would eventually do the damage in the same position. With runners on second and third and one out, Dustin Rasco collected a key strikeout to force the same position. Cal would score the winning run, as a low throw from Rasco on the bunt attempt allowed the winning run to score, and Cal would pick up two further insurance runs.

Long Beach State returns to action tomorrow at Blair Field, as the Dirtbags gear up for game two of a three-game series with Cal at 2 p.m.