Photo by: John Fajardo
Kokx’s Tenth-Inning Walkoff Home Run Gives Dirtbags Series Win over CSUB
5/16/2021 5:11:00 PM | Baseball
Connor Kokx launched a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the tenth to give the Dirtbags the walkoff win.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Connor Kokx launched a walkoff home run to left-center to lead off the bottom of the tenth as Long Beach State (21-14, 19-13 BWC) picked up the series win over CSU Bakersfield (19-16, 16-12 BWC) on Sunday. The 3-2 victory marks the first extra-inning win of the season and gives the Dirtbags eight wins in their last nine games.
It was a pretty uneventful eight and a half innings at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on Sunday as neither team could get much going offensively.
The 'Runners plated a pair of runs in the top half of the third against Jack Noble to take the early lead. The right-hander did not last long on the bump tossing 3.2 innings allowing the two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five.
Noble handed the ball off to the bullpen and the combination of Noah Carbajal, Basilio Pacheco, and Devereaux Harrison were lights out. Carbajal and Harrison each notched three innings of shutout ball while Pacheco got a huge strikeout to escape a bases loaded jam in the sixth. Only four CSUB hitters reached base and all came via walk in the final six innings of the game.
On the other side, the Dirtbags struggled against CSU Bakersfield's Roman Angelo who tossed 6.2 innings allowing just one run in the fifth before being removed from the game in the seventh on what appeared to be a shoulder injury.
The fifth inning run came off the bat of the Kokx as Long Beach State pushed a run across without recording a hit. A walk, hit by pitch, and sacrifice bunt put a runner on third for a sac fly from the Dirtbag leadoff hitter to break the shutout.
It remained a 2-1 ballgame until the bottom of the ninth. With one out recorded, Isaac Ramirez smoked a ball to left field that cleared the fence and tied things up at two runs apiece. The 100 mph solo shot marks the second home run of the season for the freshman.
Charlie Loust followed up the home run with a missile off the center field wall for a double putting the winning run in scoring position for the Dirtbags. Ultimately, a pair of strikeouts would kill the rally forcing extra innings.
After Harrison notched a scoreless top half of the tenth, the scene was set with Kokx due to leadoff the bottom half.
With a one-and-one count, the redshirt freshman got a 90mph fastball over the heart of the plate and he did not miss it, launching it over the wall in left-center to walk it off for the Dirtbags. It marks his fifth home run of the season for the redshirt freshman, securing the series victory over CSU Bakersfield.
Next up is rivalry week as the Dirtbags head to Fullerton for their matchup with the Titans. First pitch of the four-game set will be at 5:00 p.m. Friday at Goodwin Field.
It was a pretty uneventful eight and a half innings at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on Sunday as neither team could get much going offensively.
The 'Runners plated a pair of runs in the top half of the third against Jack Noble to take the early lead. The right-hander did not last long on the bump tossing 3.2 innings allowing the two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five.
Noble handed the ball off to the bullpen and the combination of Noah Carbajal, Basilio Pacheco, and Devereaux Harrison were lights out. Carbajal and Harrison each notched three innings of shutout ball while Pacheco got a huge strikeout to escape a bases loaded jam in the sixth. Only four CSUB hitters reached base and all came via walk in the final six innings of the game.
On the other side, the Dirtbags struggled against CSU Bakersfield's Roman Angelo who tossed 6.2 innings allowing just one run in the fifth before being removed from the game in the seventh on what appeared to be a shoulder injury.
The fifth inning run came off the bat of the Kokx as Long Beach State pushed a run across without recording a hit. A walk, hit by pitch, and sacrifice bunt put a runner on third for a sac fly from the Dirtbag leadoff hitter to break the shutout.
It remained a 2-1 ballgame until the bottom of the ninth. With one out recorded, Isaac Ramirez smoked a ball to left field that cleared the fence and tied things up at two runs apiece. The 100 mph solo shot marks the second home run of the season for the freshman.
Charlie Loust followed up the home run with a missile off the center field wall for a double putting the winning run in scoring position for the Dirtbags. Ultimately, a pair of strikeouts would kill the rally forcing extra innings.
After Harrison notched a scoreless top half of the tenth, the scene was set with Kokx due to leadoff the bottom half.
With a one-and-one count, the redshirt freshman got a 90mph fastball over the heart of the plate and he did not miss it, launching it over the wall in left-center to walk it off for the Dirtbags. It marks his fifth home run of the season for the redshirt freshman, securing the series victory over CSU Bakersfield.
Next up is rivalry week as the Dirtbags head to Fullerton for their matchup with the Titans. First pitch of the four-game set will be at 5:00 p.m. Friday at Goodwin Field.
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