Dirtbags Clinch Series Behind Another Mathewson Gem

Saturday, May 16

Long Beach, Calif.

2:00 PM

Long Beach State University

27-23, 10-10

UC Davis

28-24-1, 7-13

UC Davis

Long Beach State

5/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 16, 2015

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Chris Mathewson turned in another gem and the Long Beach State Dirtbags clinched the series with a 4-2 win over UC Davis. With the win, the Dirtbags climbed back to .500 in Big West games.

Mathewson went the distance for his second complete game of the season -- both of which came at home. The freshman scattered six hits over the nine-inning effort. He struck out eight and walked three while allowing only two runs for his sixth win of the season.

The Dirtbags (27-23, 10-10 Big West) spotted Mathewson three runs after a first inning outburst. The middle of the order jumped on UC Davis starter Raul Jacobson for the quick lead. Tristan Mercadel's bunt single with one out sparked the rally. On a hit-and-run play, Luke Rasmussen smacked a grounder toward the widening hole between third and short for an infield single.

Brock Lundquist found the gap in left center for a double, scoring Mercadel from second and moving Rasmussen up to third. Nolan Meadows put an exclamation on the rally as he sent a 2-2 pitch into the right field corner for a two-run triple.

Mathewson's lone hiccup in the game followed in the top of the second as back-to-back doubles from Spencer Henderson and John Williams scored two run for the Aggies (28-24-1, 7-13 Big West), narrowing the lead to 3-2.

Jacobson and Mathewson settled back in and dominated the middle innings. Jacobson retired 12 in a row after Meadows triple and allowed only three more hits through his seven-inning start. The Dirtbags added an insurance run in the sixth when pinch hitter Nico Maida cashed in Lundquist's leadoff double with an RBI-ground out.

UC Davis managed only three hits after the second innings and moved only four runners into scoring position. The Aggies left a runner on third in the fifth and eighth as Mathewson escaped every jam he found himself in. In the ninth, back-to-back one-out singles had the tying run aboard but Mathewson popped up the next hitter and caught Alex Aguiar swinging to end the game.

Lundquist was 2-for-4 for the second day in a row and scored twice for the Beach.

The final home series of the season concludes tomorrow with the Aggies and Dirtbags squaring off at 1 p.m. The Dirtbags senior class will be honored prior to first pitch.