Long Beach State University
22-14, 0
Cal State Fullerton
19-29, 0
Dirtbags Dominate Game One, 9-1, at Cal State Fullerton
5/21/2021 8:18:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State kicked off the rivalry series with a 9-1 victory on Friday night.
The Dirtbags got the scoring started in the first, taking advantage of erratic Titan pitching. After a leadoff single from Connor Kokx, four walks led to a pair of runs giving Long Beach State the early lead.
Connor Burns kept things rolling in the second with a leadoff home run to center with some assistance from the wind. It is the second home run of the freshman's young career.
Lavallee recorded five strikeouts through 2.2 innings, giving him 30 K's since his last walk. That streak is the longest by a Dirtbag since Darren McCaughan also recorded 30-straight back in 2017. The next batter would snap the streak on a 3-2 fastball that just missed outside.
For the game, the right-hander totaled eight strikeouts in six-plus innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk. He has allowed just two runs in 21 innings across his last three starts.
With the bases loaded, a hit by pitch and an RBI groundout plated a pair of runs in the top half of the seventh for the Dirtbags. Isaac Ramirez kept the rally going with a knock through the right side to plate two more as LBSU blew it open to a 7-0 game.
A solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh would end Lavallee's day, but Charlie Loust got the run back in the eighth with a solo shot of his own.
Chase Luttrell added another run in the top of the ninth with a missile into the arboretum beyond the right field wall. Projected at 409 feet, it marks the fifth home run of the season for the sophomore.
Matt Fields took over Lavallee in the sixth and finished out the ballgame. The right-hander notched his third save of the year with three scoreless frames allowing four hits while striking out a pair.
Charlie Loust led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. He becomes the third Dirtbag to surpass 20-RBI this season.
Connor Kokx recorded another multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored out of the leadoff spot.
The Dirtbags will be back at Goodwin tomorrow for a doubleheader with the Titans. First pitch will be at 12:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lavallee, Johnathan (7-1)
L: Hare, Ryan (0-5)
S: Fields, Matt (3)
Batting:
HR: Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Loust, Charlie 1 ; Burns, Connor 1
RBI: Rozell, Brennan 1 ; Estrada, Calvin 1 ; Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Ramirez, Isaac 2 ; Murillo, Sebastian 1 ; Loust, Charlie 2 ; Burns, Connor 1
SH: Craig, Toren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kokx, Connor 2 ; Rozell, Brennan 2 ; Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Loust, Charlie 2 ; Craig, Toren 1 ; Burns, Connor 1
CS: Kokx, Connor 1
HBP: Kokx, Connor 2 ; Rozell, Brennan 1 ; Luttrell, Chase 1
Batting:
HR: Brandow, Jason 1
RBI: Brandow, Jason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brandow, Jason 1
