Long Beach State University
1-0
Northwestern
0-1
LBSU Scores Most Runs On Opening Day In Dirtbags Era
2/14/2025 10:17:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State Defeats Northwestern 19-6
The 19 runs broke the previous mark of 15, set on Feb. 3, 1992, when LBSU defeated LMU 15-1. Friday night is only the seventh time in the Dirtbags' era in which the club scored at least 10 runs on opening day.
A Crawford Wade pitch hit Alex Champagne to begin the bottom of the first. Conner Charpiot worked out a seven-pitch walk before Kyle Ashworth loaded the bases with a bunt single down the third base line. Nathan Cadena's sacrifice fly scored Champagne. Armando Briseno's opposite field, single to the right center, drove in Charpiot. Ashworth scored on a Wildcats' error on the play.
Dylan Lina opened the second with a home run. Charpiot's sac fly to left with one out scored Connor Stewart for a 5-0 score.
Preston Knott reached on an infield single with one out in the top of the third. Kellan Montgomery walked Owen McElfatrick. Montgomery hit Jackson Freeman to load the bases. Bennett Markinson's sacrifice fly drove in Knott McElfratrick, and Freeman advanced a base. Ryan Kucherak walked to load the bases for a second time. Tyler Ganus singled to right to drive in McElfatrick. Freeman attempted to score but was thrown out at the plate by Ashworth for the final out.
Ashworth and Briseno both walked to start the bottom of the third. Trotter Enright flew out to center, allowing Ashworth to advance to third with two outs. Amara Tsengeg relieved Wade. Tsengeg walked Lina to load the bases. Stewart tripled to the left-center gap to clear the bases to make it 8-2. He was thrown out attempting to take home on a Northwestern overthrow.
Long Beach State sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, scoring nine runs. A Briseno grand slam home run highlighted the rally. Freshman pinch-hitters Luke Taylor and Ashworth had two RBI base hits in the inning.
Taking advantage of Albert Roblez's wildness in the top of the sixth, the Wildcats scored three runs without a hit. The LBSU reliever walked four and hit two batters. Taylor added his second two-RBI single of the game in the bottom of the seventh to increase the score to 19-5. The first three Northwestern batters reached base in the ninth as the Wildcats charted one run to create the final score.
Briseno went 3-for-3 with his grand slam home run. He drove in five runs and scored four times. Stewart was 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored. Taylor went 2-for-3 with four RBI. Ashworth was 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI. Lina was 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Long Beach State recorded 13 hits and walked 13 times. Long Beach State's six pitchers combined on a six-hitter and struck out 11. However, LBSU's pitchers issued 10 walks.
The series continues Saturday when LBSU and Northwestern begin play at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Montgomery, Kellan (1-0)
L: WADE, CRAWFORD (0-1)
Batting:
2B: LAUSCH, JACK 1
RBI: KNOTT, PRESTON 1 ; MCELFATRICK, OWEN 1 ; FREEMAN, JACKSON 1 ; MARKINSON, BENNETT 1 ; GANUS, TYLER 1 ; LAUSCH, JACK 1
SF: MARKINSON, BENNETT 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KNOTT, PRESTON 1 ; MCELFATRICK, OWEN 1 ; KUCHERAK, RYAN 1 ; GANUS, TYLER 1 ; LAUSCH, JACK 1 ; BIANCHINA, VINCE 1
HBP: MCELFATRICK, OWEN 1 ; FREEMAN, JACKSON 2 ; LAUSCH, JACK 1
Batting:
2B: Stewart, Conner 1
3B: Stewart, Conner 1
HR: Briseno, Armando 1 ; Lina, Dylan 1
RBI: Charpiot, Connor 1 ; Ashworth, Kyle 2 ; Cadena, Nathan 1 ; Briseno, Armando 5 ; Lina, Dylan 1 ; Stewart, Conner 4 ; Taylor, Luke 4
SF: Charpiot, Connor 1 ; Cadena, Nathan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Champagne, Alex 1 ; Charpiot, Connor 2 ; Ashworth, Kyle 3 ; Cadena, Nathan 1 ; Briseno, Armando 4 ; Enright, Trotter 1 ; Evans, Jake 1 ; Lina, Dylan 3 ; Stewart, Conner 2 ; Taylor, Luke 1
CS: Briseno, Armando 1 ; Taylor, Luke 1
HBP: Champagne, Alex 1 ; Stewart, Conner 1
PO: Champagne, Alex 1
