Long Beach State Drops Opener at No. 10 Ole Miss

Friday, March 1

Oxford, Miss

4:30 P.M.

Long Beach State University

0-8

Ole Miss

6-2

Long Beach State

Ole Miss

Photo by: Petre Thomas/Ole Miss Athletics

3/1/2019 10:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Dirtbags settled in after an early deficit, but couldn’t do enough in a 7-2 loss at No. 10 Ole Miss on Friday night. Laine Huffman made his first career start at second base and had a pair of singles and an RBI to lead the offense.

By: Tyler Hendrickson, Associate Athletic Communications Director

PHOTO GALLERY

OXFORD, Miss. – Another slow start doomed Long Beach State (0-8) on Friday evening as an early 5-0 hole resulted in a 7-2 loss to No. 10 Ole Miss (6-2) at Swayze Field. The host Rebels scored in each of the first three innings to build their five-run advantage, and were able to hold on from there.

Redshirt senior Laine Huffman made his first career start at second base, and his first start in the field in over a year, and led the offense going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Chase Luttrell and Calvin Estrada each had a double and a run scored on Friday and, for Luttrell, it was the freshman's first career hit. Chris Jimenez also had a base hit in his only plate appearance after starting the game on the bench, working a 10-pitch at bat before lining a single into center field.

Starting pitcher Zak Baayoun labored through the first three innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits in those first three frames. From then on, he was able to battle and make it through six, allowing no runs and just one hit over the next three innings. Freshman Ethan Clough worked an impressive 1-2-3 seventh inning before allowing two walks to score in the bottom of the eighth.

The Dirtbags were able to swing the momentum in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs, starting with a leadoff double from Estrada. After moving to third on a sac bunt, he scored on a passed ball. Luttrell then followed that up with a double to left, and was brought home on a line-drive single from Huffman.

Long Beach State will play twice on Saturday due to rain in the forecast for Sunday in Oxford. The Dirtbags will start LHP Adam Seminaris (0-2, 4.09 ERA) in the first game of the doubleheader, going against LHP Zack Phillips (0-1, 10.29 ERA) for the Rebels. The first game is set for a 11:30 a.m. PT first pitch with game two scheduled to begin 45 minutes following the conclusion of the first contest.