Dirtbags Force Extras But Fall In Finale With Michigan

Sunday, February 15

Long Beach, Calif.

1:00 PM

Long Beach State University

2-1

Michigan

1-2

Michigan

Long Beach State

2/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 15, 2015

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LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach State nearly had its second comeback win of the weekend but Michigan avoided the sweep in extras innings as the Dirtbags fell 5-3 in Sunday's finale. The Dirtbags (2-1) climbed out of a 3-0 hole to force the extra frame.

Michigan (1-2) was one strike away from ending the game in the scheduled nine innings but Zack Domingues came through in the clutch with a game-tying single. Pinch runner Joey Sanchez stood on second after Jared James drew a four-pitch walk when Domingues came to the plate.

Michigan's Matt Ogden went up 1-2 in the count but Domingues hit a grounder to the right side that saw its way under the first baseman's glove as he dove to his right. Sanchez came all the way around to score and James ended up on third after the single.

Donnie Eaton took over on the mound and quick induced the inning-ending fly out and force the extra frame. In the 10th, Michigan had two on and one out without the benefit of a hit. The inning began as Keola Paragas issued a walk in his Dirtbag debut. Ty Provencher came on in relief after the walk.

Johnny Slater's sacrifice bunt attempt was quickly scooped up by Daniel Jackson, who cut down the lead runner at second. A hit by pitch put two on with one out. A grounder deep in the hole at short moved the runner up to second and third with two outs. Jacob Cronenworth knocked a line drive single into left to score both runs as Jake Bivens slid in just ahead of the tag at the plate.

Eaton finished off the game to collect his team's first win of the season. Jackson singled in the 10th with two outs but Eaton got the game-ending ground ball just one batter later.

Several Dirtbags made their debuts on the mound. Trey Ferketic started the game and struck out seven but was touched up for three runs in the fifth and gave way to freshman Tyler Radcliffe. Radcliffe fanned two more and allowed just one hit in 1.1 innings of relief. Darren McCaughan also had two strikeouts in his scoreless debut, which last 1.2 innings before he gave way to Paragas in the ninth.

Zack Rivera had two hits and an RBI to lead the Dirtbags at the plate. Garrett Hampson doubled and scored twice in the game - once on Jackson's groundout in the fourth and again on Rivera's single in the sixth.

The teams combined to send 12 pitchers to the mound in the Sunday finale. Michigan's Eric Jacobson had a two-RBI single in the fifth that pushed Michigan's original lead to 3-0.

The Dirtbags are back at Blair Field on Tuesday when they host Pepperdine at 6 p.m.