Dirtbags Fall in Extra Inning Marathon to No. 22 UCLA

Tuesday, April 4

Long Beach, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

18-9

UCLA

17-8

UCLA

Long Beach State

Photo by: John Fajardo

4/4/2023 11:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Long Beach State’s eight-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday.

By: Collin Robinson, Associate Director of Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State and No. 22 UCLA played 13 innings and almost four and a half hours worth of baseball on Tuesday night, but the Bruins came out on top, 4-3. The loss snaps the Dirtbags' eight-game winning streak.

LBSU got the scoring started early on a Connor Burns RBI single in the bottom of the first. The Bruins responded right back in the top of the second. The Dirtbags then added runs in the fourth on a Jack Hammond RBI single and another in the fifth on a Jonathon Long RBI double.

The bullpen was lights out on Tuesday night as six different arms had scoreless outings led by Sky Wells' 2.1 shutout frames with four strikeouts. Jake Rons also notched two scoreless innings as the first reliever of the staff day. Kellan Montgomery was terrific with two perfect innings, including three strikeouts.

After a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth, Dalton Ponce got a strikeout for the first out followed by an incredible leaping grab at the wall in center for the second out. Needing just one more out, Duce Gourson connected on a two-run, game tying home run to ultimately force extras.

Both teams exchanged zeros in each of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth as the Dirtbags played their longest game since February 14 of the 2020 season.

In the top of the thirteenth, the Bruins would push a run across on a sacrifice fly following two walks and a single to take a 4-3 lead.

Connor Burns had a tremendous day at the plate, ending the night with a leadoff double in the bottom half to put the Dirtbags' tying run in scoring position with nobody out. Jack Hammond stepped in next and scorched a line drive, but right at the center fielder for the first out. Back-to-back groundouts would spell the end of the night for Long Beach State.

Burns was 3-for-6 with two doubles, a run scored and, an run batted in. Eddie Saldivar also had a three-hit night, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Ashworth had multiple hits as well with a 2-for-5 effort and an incredible catch in center field in the ninth inning.

The Dirtbags will look to start a new winning streak in the shortened week as they head to UC Irvine for a Thursday through Saturday series.