Saturday, February 15
Long Beach, Calif.
4:00 p.m.
Long Beach State University
1-1
2
vs
6
Northwestern
1-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Northwestern
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
6
9
0
Long Beach State
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
4
1
Photo by: Photos by Izzy J
Northwestern Evens Series With The Dirtbags 6-2
2/15/2025 7:02:00 PM | Baseball
Led by Donegan's career-high seven, LBSU pitchers strike out 13 in the game.
LONG BEACH, Calif.—Northwestern evened the season opening baseball series with Long Beach State Saturday afternoon as the Wildcats defeated the Dirtbags 6-2 at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
Sophomore Josh Donegan struck out five of the first six batters he faced. Trent Liolios opened the top of the third by connecting on a 91-mile per hour Donegan fastball for a home run to right field. One out later, Preston Knott doubled to the gap in right center. Donegan worked out of the threat, tying his career high by striking out Jackson Freeman to end the inning.
Northwestern starter Garrett Shearer walked Kyle Ashworth to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Armando Briseno followed with an opposite field single to right. Dylan Lina successfully sacrificed the runners up a base with a bunt back to Shearer. Nathan Cadena doubled to the right center to drive in both Ashworth and Briseno to put Long Beach State up 2-1.
Donegan reset his career-high as he struck out seven while only walking one. He gave way to Nick Williams to start the sixth. Williams got the first out before walking Freeman. Williams hit Bennett Markinson to bring up Tyler Ganus. A Williams wild pitch advanced the runners up a base. Ganus singled to left center to plate both runners to put the Wildcats up 3-2. Ryan Kucherak grounded into a 1-6-3 double play to complete the inning.
Jack Lausch led off the top of the seventh with an infield single. Lausch moved to second on a Long Beach State error before Liolios struck out. Williams struck out Vince Bianchina. Knott ran the count to 3-2 where it appeared that he was hit by a pitch. The home plate umpire ruled the pitch to be a strike and that he leaned into the pitch, ending the inning.
Sam Hliboki relieved Shearer to start the bottom of the seventh. Lina reached on an opposite field single to right for the Dirtbags. Hliboki struck out Cadena before hitting Luke Taylor with a 1-1 fastball. Connor Stewart's liner went off Bianchina's glove at second directly to Kucherak at short. He stepped on the bag at second and threw down to first to complete the double play to conclude matters.
Trotter Enright walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth for the Dirtbags. Alex Champagne's sac bunt advanced Enright to second. Connor Charpiot grounded out to short. Hliboki struck out Ashworth to quiet the Dirtbags' threat.
Kucherak doubled off Joey Iglesias (the third LBSU pitcher of the game) to begin the ninth. Lausch's bunt attempt resulted in a base hit. Liolios homered for the second time in the game to make the score 6-2.
The trio of Long Beach State hurlers struck out 13 and walked two. Three Northwestern players, Ganus, Lausch, and Liolios combined for six of the nine Wildcats' hits (two each). Shearer recorded the win while Hliboki picked up the three inning save. The Northwestern pitchers combined on a four-hitter, striking out seven, while walking two.
The series concludes Sunday. Action on ESPN+ begins at 11:30 a.m.
Sophomore Josh Donegan struck out five of the first six batters he faced. Trent Liolios opened the top of the third by connecting on a 91-mile per hour Donegan fastball for a home run to right field. One out later, Preston Knott doubled to the gap in right center. Donegan worked out of the threat, tying his career high by striking out Jackson Freeman to end the inning.
Northwestern starter Garrett Shearer walked Kyle Ashworth to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Armando Briseno followed with an opposite field single to right. Dylan Lina successfully sacrificed the runners up a base with a bunt back to Shearer. Nathan Cadena doubled to the right center to drive in both Ashworth and Briseno to put Long Beach State up 2-1.
Donegan reset his career-high as he struck out seven while only walking one. He gave way to Nick Williams to start the sixth. Williams got the first out before walking Freeman. Williams hit Bennett Markinson to bring up Tyler Ganus. A Williams wild pitch advanced the runners up a base. Ganus singled to left center to plate both runners to put the Wildcats up 3-2. Ryan Kucherak grounded into a 1-6-3 double play to complete the inning.
Jack Lausch led off the top of the seventh with an infield single. Lausch moved to second on a Long Beach State error before Liolios struck out. Williams struck out Vince Bianchina. Knott ran the count to 3-2 where it appeared that he was hit by a pitch. The home plate umpire ruled the pitch to be a strike and that he leaned into the pitch, ending the inning.
Sam Hliboki relieved Shearer to start the bottom of the seventh. Lina reached on an opposite field single to right for the Dirtbags. Hliboki struck out Cadena before hitting Luke Taylor with a 1-1 fastball. Connor Stewart's liner went off Bianchina's glove at second directly to Kucherak at short. He stepped on the bag at second and threw down to first to complete the double play to conclude matters.
Trotter Enright walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth for the Dirtbags. Alex Champagne's sac bunt advanced Enright to second. Connor Charpiot grounded out to short. Hliboki struck out Ashworth to quiet the Dirtbags' threat.
Kucherak doubled off Joey Iglesias (the third LBSU pitcher of the game) to begin the ninth. Lausch's bunt attempt resulted in a base hit. Liolios homered for the second time in the game to make the score 6-2.
The trio of Long Beach State hurlers struck out 13 and walked two. Three Northwestern players, Ganus, Lausch, and Liolios combined for six of the nine Wildcats' hits (two each). Shearer recorded the win while Hliboki picked up the three inning save. The Northwestern pitchers combined on a four-hitter, striking out seven, while walking two.
The series concludes Sunday. Action on ESPN+ begins at 11:30 a.m.
~#LongBeachBuilt~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SHEARER, GARRETT (1-0)
L: Williams, Nick (0-1)
S: HLIBOKI, SAM (1)
Batting:
2B: KNOTT, PRESTON 1 ; MARKINSON, BENNETT 1 ; KUCHERAK, RYAN 1
HR: LIOLIOS, TRENT 2
RBI: GANUS, TYLER 2 ; LIOLIOS, TRENT 4
Base Running:
RUNS: FREEMAN, JACKSON 1 ; MARKINSON, BENNETT 1 ; KUCHERAK, RYAN 1 ; LAUSCH, JACK 1 ; LIOLIOS, TRENT 2
HBP: MARKINSON, BENNETT 1
Batting:
2B: Cadena, Nathan 1
RBI: Cadena, Nathan 2
SH: Champagne, Alex 1 ; Lina, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Briseno, Armando 1
HBP: Cadena, Nathan 1 ; Taylor, Luke 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF/1B
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
P
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
C/1B
/ Baseball
P
/ BaseballFriends Welcoming TJ Bruce to the Beach
Tuesday, July 02
Dirtbags Baseball Head coach TJ Bruce Welcome Celebration
Thursday, June 27
Dirtbags Baseball: Head coach TJ Bruce Welcome Celebration
Tuesday, June 25
Dirtbags Baseball Game Highlights vs UC Riverside 4/19/2024
Saturday, April 20
