Long Beach State University
1-3, 1-3
Hawai'i
11-3, 3-1
Offense Comes Alive, Dirtbags Avoid Sweep
3/21/2021 8:45:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State avoided being swept by Hawaii with an 8-5 win in the series finale.
Calvin Estrada led the offense going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. The three runs driven in matches a career-high for the senior outfielder.
Connor Kokx continued his offensive tear going 2-for-3 setting career-highs with two walks, three runs scored, and three stolen bases. The sophomore finishes the weekend hitting .462 with an OPS of
Charlie Loust also posted a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Chase Luttrell went 1-for-5 with a solo home run.
The Dirtbags' offense came out hot in the series finale plating three runs in the top of the first thanks to an Aidan Malm RBI single, Estrada sac fly, and Luttrell's home run. For Luttrell, it is the second home run of his career and marks for the first for the Dirtbags in 2021.
LBSU starting pitcher Basilio Pacheco struggled with his command lasting just 0.2 innings allowing a run on three walks and a hit by pitch as the Rainbow Warriors got a run back in the bottom of the first.
After a scoreless second, Estrada would connect for his first homer of the season, an opposite field shot making it a 4-1 ballgame.
After Hawaii tied it in the bottom half of the third, Long Beach State reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth with some small ball as consecutive sac bunts made it a 5-4 ballgame. Kokx would drive in the second run of the inning on an RBI single into left.
The Dirtbag pitching staff settled in after the third as Jack Noble, Ethan Clough, and Matt Fields combined for 4.1 shutout innings scattering four hits while striking out seven.
Long Beach State would plate their seventh run of the game in the seventh thanks to an Estrada RBI single. While Hawaii would plate a run in the eighth, the Dirtbags responded in the top of the ninth with an RBI single from Loust to make it an 8-5 lead.
Right-hander, Devereaux Harrison closed out the ballgame throwing just six pitches in the bottom of the ninth securing the first win of the season for Long Beach State.
The Dirtbags will play their first home games of the season next weekend as they host CSUN for the second series of conference play.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Noble, Jack (1-1)
L: Harrison, C. (0-1)
S: Harrison, Devereaux (1)
Batting:
HR: Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Luttrell, Chase 1
RBI: Kokx, Connor 1 ; Loust, Charlie 1 ; Malm, Aidan 1 ; Estrada, Calvin 3 ; Luttrell, Chase 1
SH: Chung, Luke 1 ; Murillo, Sebastian 1
SF: Estrada, Calvin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kokx, Connor 3 ; Malm, Aidan 1 ; Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Pimentel, Alex 1 ; Burns, Connor 1
SB: Kokx, Connor 3
Batting:
2B: Mauai, S. 1
RBI: Quandt, J. 1 ; Best, T. 1 ; Mauai, S. 1
SF: Best, T. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fogel, A. 1 ; Baeza, A. 1 ; Best, T. 1 ; Campos, M. 1 ; Murray, T. 1
HBP: Igawa, J. 1 ; Murray, T. 1
