Long Beach State University
1-0
Holy Cross
0-1
Dirtbags Open Season With Comfortable Win Over Holy Cross
2/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Long Beach, Calif. - The Dirtbags opened the 2016 season with a strong performance on Friday night at Blair Field, striking early and controlling the game on their way to a 7-1 win over Holy Cross. Sophomore Darren McCaughan was called in to make the start after expected starter Chris Mathewson was unable to pitch due to injury, and the righthander out of nearby Los Alamitos High answered the call. McCaughan threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits while striking out six.
"I thought McCaughan really just competed, grinded," said Dirtbags head coach Troy Buckley after the win. "He kept staying with it. The defense was good and the at-bats early were great."
Those early at-bats led to two quick runs in the first inning as Garrett Hampson started off the bottom of the first with a double. After Jarren Duran reached base on a fielding error, both runners were moved into scoring position on a balk by Crusaders starter Phil Reese. After a pair of strikeouts, DH Luke Rasmussen came through with a pair of two-out RBIs with a single into left field.
The Dirtbags would add to their lead in the next two frames, as Hampson singled to start the year 2-for-2 and drive in Tristan Mercadel for a 3-0 lead in the second. In the very next inning, back-to-back walks kicked off a Beach rally, and opened the door for another Rasmussen RBI on a single back up the middle. Mercadel's sacrifice fly plated Lundquist later in the frame to put Long Beach up 5-0 after three.
Holy Cross got on the board in the fourth inning as Connor Perry singled home Anthony Critelli, who started the inning with one of his two doubles on the night. That was all the Crusaders could muster, however, as they finished the night with just five hits.
LBSU took advantage of a wild Holy Cross bullpen in the sixth to add two more runs. Three walks, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Lucas Tancas did the damage and increased the Dirtbags lead to 7-1.
McCaughan's seven innings pitched are a new career high, so were his six strikeouts. Rasmussen--who was on base all four times with two singles, a double and a walk--matched his career high in both hits (3) and RBIs (3).
The teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon at Blair Field, where the Dirtbags are expected to send junior Dave Smith to the hill to face off with Holy Cross starter Ben White. First pitch is at 2 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCaughan, Darren (1-0)
L: Phil Reese (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Anthony Critelli 2
RBI: Connor Perry 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Anthony Critelli 1
HBP: Bill Schlich 1
Batting:
2B: Hampson, Garrett 1 ; Rasmussen, Luke 1
RBI: Hampson, Garrett 1 ; Tancas, Lucas 1 ; Rasmussen, Luke 3 ; Mercadel, Tristan 1
SH: Domingues, Zack 1
SF: Tancas, Lucas 1 ; Mercadel, Tristan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hampson, Garrett 1 ; Duran, Jarren 1 ; Tancas, Lucas 1 ; Lundquist, Brock 1 ; Mercadel, Tristan 1 ; Hutting, Eric 1 ; Domingues, Zack 1
SB: Hampson, Garrett 1
HBP: Duran, Jarren 1
