Mathewson Lifts Dirtbags Over Fullerton In The 12th

Friday, March 20

Long Beach, Calif.

6:00 PM

Long Beach State University

11-7

Cal State Fullerton

10-10

Cal State Fullerton

Long Beach State

Garrett Hampson was 2-for-5 and scored the game-winning run.

3/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 20, 2015

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Five hours after the first pitch, Chris Mathewson stroked a single into right field to bring home Garrett Hampson for a 4-3 Long Beach State Dirtbags win over Cal State Fullerton. The Dirtbags (11-7) took the series-opening win in the 12th inning after eight scoreless frames.

All of the scoring before the game-winning run came in the first three frames as the Titans (10-10) put up three runs early, including a two-run homer from Josh Estill in the first. The Dirtbags hit right back, taking advantage of two Titan errors to cash in a couple of runs in the first. In the third, they evened the score on Nico Maida's single to left at 3-3.

For the next nine innings, the pitchers took over. After having only two runners reach scoring position after the fourth inning, Hampson sparked a rally in the 12th. He singled to left with one out and moved up to second on a wild pitch as Zack Domingues struck out for the second out.

The Titans decided to intentionally walk Zack Rivera then opted to play the matchups as they brought Tyler Peitzmeier for a lefty-on-lefty matchup with Jared James. The Dirtbags brought in Mathewson to hit for James for just his second trip to the plate in his college career. He duplicated the results of his first at-bat as he sent a grounder through the hole on the right side, easily scoring Hampson from second for the 4-3 win.

Before the walkoff heroics of Mathewson, the pitchers controlled the game and preserved the tie for their respective teams. Kyle Friedrichs gave up the early three runs but settled in, allowing only four hits and a walk while striking out six through six innings. Fullerton starter Thomas Eshelman countered as he allowed the three early runs (only one of which was earned) through six innings. He scattered seven hits and fanned eight without issuing a walk.

Three more pitchers out of the bullpen continued Eshelman's late dominance, allowing only three hits over the next five and two-thirds innings prior to Mathewson's game-winner. The Dirtbags bullpen ran into a bit more trouble but was able to wiggle out of jams in the eighth, ninth, 11th and 12th.

Austin McGeorge pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings. Logan Lombana went the next inning and a third, including snagging a comebacker to end the eighth with runners on second and third. Darren McCaughan went the final three scoreless innings with four strikeouts and allowing only two hits. He left a runner on third in the 11th when he struck out Scott Hurst.

In the 12th, a couple of free passes and a single loaded the bases with one out but McCaughan got Chris Hudgins to pop up in shallow center and struck out Josh Vargas to end the threat.

The four Dirtbags pitchers combined to throw 10 scoreless innings while the Titans held the Dirtbags scoreless for eight in the middle of the game.

Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton continue the nonconference series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.