Errors Costly As Dirtbags Drop Finale At CSUN

Sunday, March 30

Northridge, Calif.

1:00 PM

Long Beach State University

13-13, 2-1

CSUN

12-17, 1-2

Long Beach State

Cal State Northridge

Johnny Bekakis was 3-for-3 with a home run.

3/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 30, 2014

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Long Beach State built a 5-2 lead early on but saw it fade away in the later innings as the Dirtbags fell 6-5 on Sunday at Cal State Northridge. The Matadors (12-16, 1-2 Big West) were able to score four unanswered runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh to avoid the sweep in the opening series of the Big West schedule.

Johnny Bekakis was 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the offensive charge and hit his second home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2 in the second inning. The Dirtbags (13-13, 2-1 Big West) had fallen behind 2-0 in the bottom of the first when a couple of errors, paired with a couple of hits and a sacrifice fly, led to two quick runs.

A CSUN error in the second came after a bunt single from Michael Hill to move him to second and a balk moved him to third. Alex Bishop grounded out to bring home Hill and Bekakis followed that with his homer.

Errors played a large role in the game for both squads as the teams combined for five on the day. Three of the Matadors' six runs were unearned and one run for the Dirtbags was unearned. That one unearned run came in the fourth when the Dirtbags jumped out to a 5-2 lead.

Bishop already doubled in Hill for the 3-2 Dirtbag lead before Bekakis singled in Bishop to increase the lead to 4-2. He tried to move up to second behind the throw to the cutoff and Nicolas Osuna's throw to second sailed into right field to allow Bekakis to move up to third. Daniel Jackson knocked him in with a single on the first pitch and the lead grew to 5-2.

With one out in the fifth and a runner on first, the Dirtbags misplayed a double play ball up the middle that could have ended the inning. Instead, everyone was safe and a couple of singles put the Matadors' third run on the board. Osuna's sacrifice fly made it a one-run game at 5-4.

Brett Balkan tied the game in the sixth with a single and Nick Murphy drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh with a bases loaded single. The inning could have been much worse but Ty Provencher was able to get Will Colantano to ground into a double play to end the inning.

On the other side of the inning, the Matador relievers were able retire eight Dirtbags in arrow between the seventh and ninth before the Dirtbags challenged. Bekakis singled to put the tying run on board. Jackson looked like he had tied the game as he sent a well-hit ball into left center. However, Nick Blaser reached up with his back to the wall to record the second out. It was the second time in the game that Jackson had sent Blaser to the wall in left.

Zack Rivera came in as a pinch hitter and walked before Colby Brenner was hit by a pitch. Shay Maltese was then brought in to relieve John Salas and got Garrett Hampson to pop up to end the game. Salas earned his third win and Maltese had his fifth save.

Provencher was tagged with the loss for the Dirtbags. Both team sent five pitchers to the mound in the series finale with both starter going four innings. Ryan Strufing allowed two runs on five hits in his second start back from injury.

The Dirtbags will wrap up their nine game road trip on Tuesday when they travel to USC for a 6 p.m. game.