Dirtbags Rally In The Eighth For 4-2 Win

Saturday, February 21

Long Beach, Calif.

2:00 PM

Long Beach State University

5-1

Utah Valley

0-6

Utah Valley

Long Beach State

Garrett Hampson sparked the game-winning rally with a double.

2/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 21, 2015

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Eighth inning heroics lifted the Long Beach State Dirtbags to a 4-2 win over visiting Utah Valley on Saturday. The win is the third straight for the Dirtbags, who ran their record to 5-1 to start the year.

After the Wolverines (0-6) tied the game in the eighth inning, the Dirtbags bats came to life to quickly jump out in front and secure the victory. Freshman Luke Rasmussen had a chance to play the hero in his first collegiate game and came through in the clutch. His single up the middle reclaimed the lead for the Dirtbags in the eighth, scoring Garrett Hampson from second.

Rasmussen was 2-for-3 in the game with a pair of single, the go-ahead RBI and a sacrifice bunt.

The eighth began with Hampson's third double of the season, which he dropped into right center with one out to spark the rally. Rasmussen's hit came after Zack Rivera was intentionally walked and both Rivera and Rasmussen moved up a base when the throw from the outfield soared all the way home, putting two in scoring position with still only one out.

Daniel Jackson added the insurance run with a sacrifice fly after Eric Hutting was intentionally walked. Ty Provencher, who had ended the Wolverine rally in the eighth, finished off the ninth for his first win of the year.

The Dirtbags were also led offensively by Rivera, who continued his hot streak with a 2-for-2 day. He drew a pair of walks in his last two trips to the plate after singling in the first and smashing a triple off the wall in left center in the third. The triple also brought home the Dirtbags second run.

Tanner Brown had another strong showing on the mound, lasting 6.2 innings and leaving with the lead. He allowed just four hits and a run while striking out six. He did not issue a walk for his second consecutive start. Austin McGeorge, who finished off the seventh and surrendered the tying run in the eighth, and Provencher did not issue any walks either.

The Dirtbags got on the board in the first without needing a hit. Zack Domingues walked, moved up to second on a double steal attempt and advanced to third on a groundout. With Rivera at the plate, a pitch went off the glove of the Utah Valley catcher, allowing Domingues to sprint home. Rivera's triple in the third made it 2-0 Dirtbags.

After Brown retired the first nine UVU batters in order, Kade Andrus led off the fourth with a single and later scored on Jake Atkinson's two out single to right center. Seth Rhineer's double in the eighth tied the game at 2-2.

The Dirtbags eighth inning rally came off of Kyle Valgardson, who was pegged with his second loss of the season.

Long Beach State and Utah Valley finish off their series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.