Long Beach State University
2-0
California
0-2
Ruiz Dominates as Dirtbags Cruise to 4-0 Win vs. Cal
2/15/2020 7:31:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State picked up an efficient 4-0 win over Cal on Saturday afternoon, led by a strong performance from sophomore Alfredo Ruiz. The lefty struck out a career-high 10 batters in seven scoreless innings to help lead the Beach to a shutout win.
After Adam Seminaris struck out a career-high 11 batters on Friday night, Ruiz posted his new career high with 10 punchouts on Saturday. The sophomore allowed just two hits—neither of which left the infield—and threw a whopping 78 percent of his pitches for strikes. Seminaris and Ruiz become the first Dirtbags starters to have double-digit strikeouts in consecutive starts since Apr. 10, 2016, when Chris Mathewson and Darren McCaughan accomplished the feat in a doubleheader at CSUN.
So far this season, Dirtbags starters have combined for 13 scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and no walks with 21 strikeouts. Overall, including relievers, Dirtbags pitchers have an ERA of just 0.41 through the first two games, with 32 strikeouts and two walks over 22 innings pitched.
Aidan Malm led the offense in Saturday's win with another two-hit performance, scoring a run and driving in another. Connor Kokx had a pinch-hit double and a run scored, and Thomas Greely scored a run and contributed a sac fly for the Dirtbags. LBSU opened the scoring with a run in the third inning as Jacob Hughey's RBI grounder brought home Greely. Malm added an RBI single in the sixth and would later score on a wild pitch and throwing error on the same play. Greely's seventh-inning sac fly proved to be extra insurance.
Out of the bullpen, sophomore Jonathan Carlos was strong to close out the final two frames. He allowed only an infield single while striking out a batter to end each of his innings.Malm: cool & collected. Aidan lines this RBI single up the middle to double the Dirtbags lead! It's now 2-0 in the 6th. #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/S0AAFZPiwZ
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 16, 2020
Long Beach State will go for the sweep on Sunday with freshman RHP Luis Ramirez making his collegiate debut on the mound. He'll go up against Cal RHP Ian Villers with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.That will do it! Carlos gets the strikeout to end it and the Dirtbags win, 4-0! Long Beach State will go for the sweep on Sunday at 1pm! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/Ue4yV7MRrs
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 16, 2020
Another great start for the Dirtbags. This time by @alfreddddo12 who threw 7 scoreless innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/xzFIDqNdQi
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) February 16, 2020
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ruiz, Alfredo (1-0)
L: Grant Holman (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Kokx, Connor 1
RBI: Hughey, Jacob 1 ; Malm, Aidan 1 ; Greely, Thomas 1
SH: Estrada, Calvin 1
SF: Greely, Thomas 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Malm, Aidan 1 ; Kokx, Connor 1 ; Greely, Thomas 1
SB: Malm, Aidan 1 ; Kokx, Connor 1
HBP: Greely, Thomas 1
