Resilient Dirtbags Fall to USC in Extras, 8-5

Tuesday, March 26

Long Beach, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

3-20

USC

9-14

USC

Long Beach State

Photo by: John Fajardo

3/26/2019 11:08:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Dirtbags came back from a 4-0 second-inning deficit, and scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings, but USC prevailed with an 8-5 victory on a marathon Tuesday night at Blair Field that featured 10 LBSU pitchers.

By: Tyler Hendrickson, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The visiting USC Trojans have become well-versed in 10-inning ballgames over the last four days, and their expertise paid off in an 8-5 victory over Long Beach State (3-20) on Tuesday night on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. The Trojans ended their previous weekend series at Washington with back-to-back losses in 10 innings, but had the answer for the Dirtbags to stave off multiple rallies by the home team.

Junior Calvin Estrada had the best offensive game of his Dirtbags career, going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs to set new personal bests in each category. Senior Brooks Stotler drove in a pair of runs and scored twice out of the No. 2 spot in the order, and freshman Kaden Hogan had a pair of hits out of the nine hole.

USC led 4-0 after scoring four times in the second inning, but LBSU would fight its way back into the game. Estrada opened the scoring for LBSU with a seed into center field that scooted by the center fielder all the way to the wall, scoring Stotler in the third inning to make it 4-1 Trojans.

Calvin Estrada SMACKS that ball back up the middle to get the RBI double as the Beach scratches back! 4-1 #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/jd6gm4t4gn
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) March 27, 2019

The Dirtbags were able to tie the game in the fourth with a three-run outburst. Hogan started a two-out rally with a single, then Riki DeSa was hit by a pitch to put two men on for Stotler. The center fielder ripped a ball into deep center for a two-run triple and would score himself on an RBI knock from Estrada to tie the game, 4-4.

YOU'RE Killing me Stotler! An RBI triple makes it a one run game! 4-3! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/P1OEe3Q1Rg
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) March 27, 2019

And now Calvin Estrada! with the big time RBI single to tie up this ballgame at 4 a piece! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/wLddcbzVvy
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) March 27, 2019

After USC took the lead in the top of the ninth, Estrada started the game-tying rally with a one-out base hit. Freshman Tyler Porter broke his 0-for-4 to deliver a clutch two-out hit through the left side to bring Estrada home and send the game to extra innings. Unfortunately, USC came through with a bases-loaded triple in the top of the 10^th to finally put Long Beach State away.

Porter! with the BIG TIME clutch RBI single to tie this game at 5! Winning run is on 3rd! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/1yKCVKoOzV
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) March 27, 2019

The Dirtbags used 10 different pitchers on Tuesday, with none of them pitching more than 1.2 innings or throwing more than 33 pitches. Freshman Jonathan Carlos was the only LBSU reliever with a clean inning, and was one of three pitchers who recorded an out for Long Beach State without issuing a walk.

Long Beach State continues its brief tour of the Pac-12 with a three-game series at Cal this weekend. Game one in Berkeley is on Friday night at 7 p.m.