Long Beach State University
9-4
Xavier
4-8
No. 17 Dirtbags Score Five in Eighth to Fight Off Xavier, 8-4
3/6/2020 10:40:00 PM | Baseball
Junior Adam Seminaris made some Dirtbags history with an impressive 14 strikeouts in 7+ innings, but the Dirtbags had to fight for a series-opening win on Friday night. The Dirtbags used a five-run eighth inning to turn a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 win over Xavier.
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Before the late-inning offensive heroics, junior Adam Seminaris etched his name into the LBSU record books with a whopping 14 strikeouts in 7+ innings pitched. That's a new career high for Seminaris, but more importantly, it puts him into elite company at Long Beach State. Only two pitchers have ever struck out 14 or more batters for the Dirtbags: Adam Seminaris and Jered Weaver. The single-game record for strikeouts in a game is 17 (set by Weaver on May 7, 2004), and Seminaris' performance on Friday produced the highest strikeout total for a Dirtbags pitcher in nearly 16 years.
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Furthermore, Seminaris has double-digit strikeouts in all three of his starts this season. He is the first Dirtbags starter to have 10+ strikeouts in three consecutive starts since Kyle Friedrichs accomplished the feat during the first three weeks of the 2015 season.
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The southpaw had things working early and often, recording seven strikeouts in the first three innings and posting multiple strikeouts in each of his first six frames. He was touched up for two runs on three hits in the fifth, and allowed a leadoff single in the eighth that came around to score. In total, he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk, receiving a no-decision. Xavier scored twice in the fifth to tie the game up at 2-2, then took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth with two more tallies.
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Before the Dirtbags mustered the late rally, there were plenty of missed opportunities early on. LBSU scored a run in each of the first two innings, but there was so much left to be had in the early going. Remarkably, the Dirtbags hit into bases-loaded double plays in each of the first three innings. Long Beach State rolled into four double plays on the night, stranding eight runners on base in the game.
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LBSU took the 3-2 lead in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Chase Luttrell, but had more work to do in the eighth after Xavier's comeback. Aidan Malm started the eighth-inning rally with a walk, followed by a single from Cole Joy and and RBI knock from Santino Rivera to tie the game. The Dirtbags took the lead back on a grounder by Riki DeSa back to the mound. The Musketeers tried to make a play at the plate, but pinch-runner Jesse Lopez got underneath the catcher's tag to score the go-ahead run.
Two batters later, Luttrell smacked a ball into left center and legged out a double, driving in a pair of runs to make it an 8-4 Dirtbags advantage.HE'S SAFE! Jesse Lopez beats the throw and the Dirtbags take the lead 5-4. Dirtbags 5, Xavier 4. pic.twitter.com/cfnw8GNAyZ
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) March 7, 2020
Freshman Devereaux Harrison recorded the final three outs to put the Dirtbags back into the win column. LBSU is now 4-0 on Friday nights this season.We like that! Luttrell doubles and two runs score. Dirtbags 8, Xavier 4 pic.twitter.com/5ss7ljS9Ou
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) March 7, 2020
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The Dirtbags will look to clinch another series win on Saturday afternoon. LHP Alfredo Ruiz (2-1, 1.80 ERA) will get the start, facing LHP Nick Zwack (2-1, 1.65 ERA) from Xavier with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
Here's what @chaseluttrell22 had to say after his 2-hit, 3-RBI performance in LBSU's 8-4 win over Xavier! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/rNKvk0RWar
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) March 7, 2020
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fields, Matt (1-0)
L: SCHRAMM,Trey (0-1)
Batting:
2B: SCHULTZ, Garrett 1
RBI: FRANZONI, Luke 2 ; SCHULTZ, Garrett 2
Base Running:
RUNS: HOUSINGER, Jack 1 ; ALTENBERGER, Ryan 1 ; WALKER, Andrew 1 ; SEXTON, Andrew 1
Batting:
2B: Estrada, Calvin 2 ; Luttrell, Chase 1
RBI: Luttrell, Chase 3 ; Malm, Aidan 1 ; Rivera, Santino 1 ; DeSa, Riki 1
SH: DeSa, Riki 1
SF: Luttrell, Chase 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Pimentel, Alex 1 ; Lopez, Jesse 1 ; Hughey, Jacob 1 ; Rivera, Santino 1 ; DeSa, Riki 1 ; Porter, Tyler 1
HBP: Malm, Aidan 1
