Dirtbags Let Early Lead Slip in 4-1 Loss at No. 19 UC Irvine

Saturday, April 6

Irvine, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

4-25, 0

UC Irvine

20-5, 0

Long Beach State

UC Irvine

Photo by: John Fajardo

Dirtbags Let Early Lead Slip in 4-1 Loss at No. 19 UC Irvine

4/6/2019 9:55:00 PM | Baseball

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A second-inning solo home run from junior Calvin Estrada put Long Beach State out in front against No. 19 UC Irvine, but the Anteaters were able to tie the game in the seventh and score three times in the eighth to put the game away and clinch a series win over LBSU.

By: Tyler Hendrickson, Associate Athletic Communications Director

IRVINE, Calif. – Long Beach State (4-25, 0-2 Big West) took an early lead on a solo home run from Calvin Estrada and led 1-0 after six innings, but UC Irvine (20-5, 4-1 Big West) was able to come up with some late offense to pick up a 4-1 win on Saturday night at Anteater Ballpark.

Estrada's home run was the first of his Dirtbags career, a laser that was tucked inside the foul pole along the left field line to open the second inning. Junior catcher Dominic Campeau added a single and a double to match his career high with a two-hit night, and freshman Kaden Hogan was 1-for-2 out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup. Brooks Stotler singled and stole his seventh base of the season on Saturday.

Junior Nick Avila had the best start of his Dirtbags career, going a personal-best seven innings to earn a quality start and a no-decision. He put up six scoreless frames before UC Irvine pushed a run across in the bottom of the seventh to tie it, but Avila made huge pitches in the inning to strand a pair. He struck out the top hitter for UCI, Brandon Lewis, to strand two runners and send the game to the eighth inning tied, 1-1. Avila allowed just the one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

LBSU also played some stellar defense behind him on Saturday night. After committing four errors on the night before, the Dirtbags played error-free baseball including some stellar plays. Hogan had a terrific diving play at shortstop ranging up the middle, Tyler Porter made a sweet barehanded play at third and Jake Vander Wal delivered a clutch diving catch with the bases loaded in the eighth to save multiple runs.

The Dirtbags will look to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday as RHP Sagun Gainey (0-2, 5.93 ERA) will get the start against RHP Trenton Denholm (5-0, 1.89 ERA) for UC Irvine. First pitch from Anteater Ballpark is set for 1 p.m.