Long Beach State University
1-0
California
0-1
Dirtbags Win Thriller Over Cal in 13 Innings
2/15/2020 12:56:00 AM | Baseball
The start of the Eric Valenzuela era at Long Beach State got off to an exciting start as the Dirtbags battled back with two runs in the bottom of the 13th inning to snag a walk-off 3-2 victory over Cal on Opening Night. Redshirt senior Jacob Hughey delivered the walk-off hit to bring home Calvin Estrada for the win.
Perhaps easily forgotten thanks to the length of the game, junior lefty Adam Seminaris turned in a terrific start to open his season, striking out a career-best 11 batters in six scoreless innings. He surrendered just three hits and didn't walk a batter, with over 75 percent of his pitches going for strikes.HUGHEY!!! The Dirtbags walk it off in the 13th on this RBI single! Dirtbags never quit!! What an incredible win on Opening Night! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/jQCBPUP0Rb
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 15, 2020
The last time a Dirtbags pitcher had double-digit strikeouts on Opening Night was in 2018, when lefty Zak Baayoun struck out 12 against Saint Mary's, and then-head coach Eric Valenzuela. That game was also the last time Dirtbags pitchers struck out 15 or more batters. Long Beach State's pitching staff finished with 20 strikeouts on Friday night, and had 16 through nine innings.T6 | Adam Seminaris with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning! He now has a career-high 11 strikeouts through 6 scoreless innings on Opening Night! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/stRLfkMRTo
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 15, 2020
Long Beach State finally pushed the game's first run across in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to terrific hustle from its corner outfielders. Calvin Estrada was on second with two outs, and raced home to score on an infield single by Aidan Malm, who hit a squibber towards first but was able to get to the bag before Cal's defense could collect it. That allowed Estrada to make the aggressive play and score all the way from second on a ball that traveled less than 90 feet.
Cal promptly tied the game in the top of the eighth on a two-out RBI triple from Darren Baker, leaving the teams in a 1-1 tie that would remain until the 13th inning.The Dirtbags are on the board! Malm's grounder is in the perfect spot and Estrada races home from second to give the Dirtbags the lead! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/3hJYrgZXA5
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 15, 2020
What occurred in the intermediary was anything but routine, however. The Golden Bears loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th inning against freshman Devereaux Harrison, but the righthander battled his way off the ledge with back-to-back strikeouts against the teeth of the Cal lineup. Following the second strikeout, catcher Cole Joy fired a throw down to first, throwing behind the trail runner on a pick-off attempt. Hughey applied the tag at first for an unexpected, clutch double play to escape the inning.
In the 11th, it was Long Beach State's turn to threaten. Santino Rivera led off the inning with a single, then moved to second on a balk. Joy struck out at the plate, but on a dropped third strike the throw down to first was dropped, allowing him to reach base safely on the error. Chase Luttrell then used his speed to turn a sacrifice bunt attempt into an infield single, loading the bases with no outs. Cal escaped the jam, however, with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a terrific leaping grab at second by Baker, robbing Estrada of what looked like a sure winner off the bat.WOW!! Cal loads the bases with no outs, but Harrison gets back-to-back K's, capped by this double play as Joy back-picks down to first to get the runner! We're still tied going bottom 10! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/WdaqPJIKdv
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 15, 2020
Cal scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the 13th, which went unearned against reliever Tyler Gums. The put Long Beach's backs against the wall, but Estrada and Hughey would come through with big hits in the bottom half. Down to the team's last out and with Tanner Carlson on at first, Estrada slapped the first pitch he saw past a diving first baseman and into the right field corner. Carlson hustled all the way home from first to tie the game, 2-2. Then it was Hughey's turn for heroics as he tucked a curveball inside the third-base bag to score Estrada easily and cue the pandemonium.
A total of 22 Dirtbags appeared in Friday's contest, with seven players making their Long Beach State debuts. Harrison was one of those debutants, and he pitched 2.2 innings allowing no runs on three hits with five strikeouts. Leonard Jones returned to the Dirtbags lineup after missing all but one game in 2019, recording two hits while starting in left field and batting cleanup.The Dirtbags tie it!!!! Down to the last out, Calvin Estrada smacks a double to right & Tanner Carlson comes all the way around from first base to tie it, 2-2, in the 13th! WOW!! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/IdfH1SITWh
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 15, 2020
The victory gives Valenzuela his first win as Dirtbags skipper, and it only took four hours and 45 minutes to get there. That makes Friday's Opening Night win the longest game for the Dirtbags since an 11-4 win at Hawai'i on May 7, 2016, a game that lasted 12 innings and took 4:54 minutes to complete. Friday's win over Cal was the longest game at Blair Field since Mar. 20, 2015, when the Dirtbags needed 5:01 to defeat Cal State Fullerton, 4-3, in 12 innings.
Long Beach State will get back to it on Saturday at 3 p.m. against the Golden Bears. Sophomore LHP Alfredo Ruiz will get the ball for the Dirtbags, squaring off against Cal righthander Grant Holman in game two of the three-game set.
.@ASeminaris had a career-high 11 strikeouts over 6 scoreless innings. Hear what was working for him on Opening Night! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/vwOiR57zU1
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 15, 2020
Hear from walk-off hero @jacobhughey5 who drove in Calvin Estrada with a 2-out single in the 13th inning! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/SdlGzQ8rvw
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 15, 2020
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gums, Tyler (1-0)
L: Vaughn Mauterer (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Cole Elvis 1
3B: Darren Baker 1
RBI: Darren Baker 1
SH: Hance Smith 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Darren Baker 1 ; Cole Elvis 1
SB: Brandon McIllwain 1
HBP: Grant Holman 1
PO: Brandon McIllwain 1
Batting:
2B: Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Jones, Leonard 1 ; Joy, Cole 1
RBI: Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Hughey, Jacob 1 ; Malm, Aidan 1
SH: Kokx, Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Estrada, Calvin 2 ; Carlson, Tanner 1
SB: Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Malm, Aidan 1
