Dirtbags win 5-4 on walkoff against USC

Tuesday, March 1

Long Beach, Calif.

6:30 PM

Long Beach State University

3-5

USC

3-5

USC

Long Beach State

Johnny Bekakis' pinch hit single drove in the winning run for the Dirtbags.

3/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 1, 2011

Box Score

Long Beach, Calif. - The Dirtbags scrapped their way to a 5-4 win over USC Friday night, taking the lead after giving up two first inning runs and following that up by pushing the winning run across on a pinch-hit single by freshman Johnny Bekakis.

Long Beach State got into early trouble in the first inning, as Kevin Roundtree and Joe De Pinto both hit doubles to sandwich an error, bringing home a pair of runs in the top half as USC took a 2-0 lead in the early innings.

Freshman Kyle Friedrichs, making his first career start, settled down from that point, moving through 4.2 innings with just those runs coming home to keep the Dirtbags in the game.

The Dirtbags pulled back their first run in the second inning. Ino Patron singled to start the inning, and after moving to third base on "productive outs," Brennan Fulkerson laid down a bunt that straddled the third base line to score Patron and cut the Trojan lead to one run.

Shortstop Kirk Singer scored the first of his two runs in the fifth inning, capitalizing on a pair of USC errors as an overthrow on a Royce Murai single allowed him to score, tying up the game at 2-2.

Two more runs in the sixth inning gave Long Beach State the lead. Matt Hibbert started the inning with his second hit of the game, and after being sacrificed to second, scored on an RBI double by Mike Marjama. Marjama proceeded to steal third base, and scored on a double by Jonathan Kim, the first clutch pinch hit appearance for Long Beach State on the night.

USC added a pair of runs as the Dirtbags turned to Austin Boyle, a fourth reliever, and so Long Beach State brought in closer Shawn Stuart for a long save situation. The Trojans brought home the tying run, but Stuart quieted the USC bats in the eighth and ninth innings to set up the Long Beach State heroics.

Singer led off the inning by drawing a walk, and after stealing second, Johnny Bekakis entered the game with a chance to bring home a run with a hit. The freshman delivered on a 3-2 count, turning a slider through the right side, and Singer was able to score all the way from second as the Dirtbags took the game, with Stuart picking up his first win.

The Dirtbags return to Blair Field for three more games this weekend, hosting No. 15 Oregon for the team's third straight weekend series against a ranked foe. First pitch for Friday night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.