Long Beach State University
27-27, 15-13
UC Davis
6-33, 5-23
Saldivar’s Game-Saving Catch Secures Dirtbags’ Series Opening Victory at UC Davis
5/26/2022 7:12:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State held on for a 5-4, extra inning win to open their weekend at Davis.
.@EddieSaldivar3 saves the ballgame with one of the best catches you'll see all year ??@NCAABaseball | #SCTop10 https://t.co/k3RD0YkLyU pic.twitter.com/fzZ6CkVGXW
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) May 27, 2022
The Dirtbags wasted no time pushing a run across in the top of the first after a Rocco Peppi leadoff single. After a sacrifice bunt moved him to second and a passed ball moved him to third, he came in to score on a Jonathon Long single to center field for the first run of the ballgame.
Jack Noble got the start on the mound for Long Beach State and struggled out the gate. The first three Aggie hitters went single, double, double to bring two runs across before the right-hander could record an out.
The Dirtbags reclaimed the lead in the third on another Long RBI knock and a UC Davis error to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
After Noble's first inning struggles, he settled down and retired 16 of the next 17 hitters before running into trouble in the sixth. A pair of walks followed by a single tied the game at three runs apiece and forced Coach Valenzuela to go to the bullpen.
The fifth lead change of the game came in the top of the seventh. After Long Beach State loaded the bases with one out, Chase Luttrell sent a ground ball to the right side putting the Dirtbags back out in front 4-3. Unfortunately, the Aggies responded in the eighth with a run against Matt Fields to tie the game up at four.
Looking to avoid extras, the Dirtbags had two runners aboard in the top of the ninth, but a groundout and strikeout would strand both.
Fields bounced back to retire eight of the next nine and keep the game tied until the eleventh inning. With the bases loaded once again, Devereaux Harrison skied a ball into shallow left allowing Sebastian Murillo to tag up and score the go-ahead run.
He saved the game in the eighth, and now @devharrison3 gives us the lead in the eleventh! pic.twitter.com/mUbEyVXhlT
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) May 27, 2022
UC Davis appeared to have an answer with a single and a double to start their half of the inning. With the infield in, a hard grounder right at Saldivar led to a double play with the help of some bad Aggie baserunning. The next hitter would scorch a line drive up the middle, but Saldivar would save the game with a full extension, diving grab up the middle for the final out of the game.
In his first game back in the lineup after missing the last four due to a mild concussion, Long went 4-for-5 with a walk and two RBI. He singled in his first four appearances on the day before being retired. Murillo reached base three times with a 1-for-3 effort with two walks and three runs scored.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fields, Matt (3-2)
L: Carrion, Daniel (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Harrison, Devereaux 1 ; Saldivar, Eddie 1 ; Burns, Connor 1
RBI: Long, Jonathon 2 ; Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Harrison, Devereaux 1
SH: Murillo, Sebastian 1 ; White, Tyler 1
SF: Harrison, Devereaux 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Peppi, Rocco 1 ; Murillo, Sebastian 3 ; Burns, Connor 1
CS: Long, Jonathon 1
HBP: Peppi, Rocco 1 ; White, Tyler 1
Batting:
2B: Williams III, James 1 ; Wolbert, Mark 1 ; Leehey, Nick 1
RBI: Williams III, James 1 ; Wolbert, Mark 2 ; Sandoval, Raul 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mico, J.D. 2 ; Williams III, James 2
CS: Wolbert, Mark 1 ; Henrickson, Jonah 1
HBP: Henrickson, Jonah 1
