The Dirtbags Come From Behind To Defeat LMU 9-6

Tuesday, March 18

Long Beach, Calif.

6:00 p.m.

Long Beach State University

7-13

LMU

12-9

LMU

Long Beach State

Photo by: Diego Devia @Devia.Img

3/18/2025 10:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Champagne goes 3-for-4 with three runs scored for LBSU

By: Matt Turk, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH, Calif.--Long Beach State rallied from 4-0 down to defeat LMU 9-6 Tuesday night at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

Zion Williams opened the scoring in the top of the second when he hit a solo home run with one out. JD Dunn added a two-out RBI double to increase the Lions' advantage. Home runs from Cam Hassert and Devan Ornelas to begin the third and fourth innings made it a 4-0 game.

Alex Champagne bunted his way on to begin the bottom of the fourth, resulting in Long Beach State's first hit. With one out, Dylan Lina singled to left to advance Champagne. Luke Taylor's opposite-field single down the right field line scored Champagne. Efren Ortega hit a grounder back to LMU pitcher Johnny Casale, who threw home for the second out. Catcher Nate Savoie attempted to complete the double play at first, but his throw hit Ortega in the leg, allowing Taylor to score and cut the lead in half for the Dirtbags.

The Lions put the first two runners on top of the fifth. Hassert, the lead runner, was picked off second by LBSU reliever Cristien Banda. The second runner, Ben Ankeney, was thrown out at second by Ortega, the Dirtbags' catcher, attempting to steal.

A Casale pitch hit Nathan Cadena. Champagne singled to right, taking second on Dunn's throw as Cadena advanced to third. Armando Briseno hit a fly ball to center that wasn't deep enough for either runner to move up. A diving Hassert caught Lina's shot to short to end the inning. The Lions added a run in the top of the seventh on a two-out Savoie double, which scored Ankeney.

Cadena hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to the deepest part of Blair Field in centerfield. The shot was measured at 407 feet; the blast cut the lead to 5-3. Champagne and Briseno followed with singles that chased Adam Behrens in favor of Austin Schroeder. Lina doubled down the left field line to score Champagne and send Briseno to third. Taylor hit a grounder to James Bose at shortstop. Bose, who replaced an injured Hassert at the start of the at-bat, committed a throwing error that allowed both runners to score and give the Dirtbags a 6-5 lead.

Ortega began the bottom of the eighth with a single. Sam Brady, the fifth pitcher of the game for LMU, struck out the next two batters before walking Cadena. Brady hit Champagne on a 1-2 pitch to load the bases. Briseno, the Long Beach State cleanup hitter, singled through the right side to drive in two runs. The throw by Dunn got away from Robbie Ayers, the new Lions' catcher, allowing Champagne to score and clear the bases. Ankeney's 413-foot home run with one out in the top of the ninth was the night's final score.

Champagne went 3-for-4 with three runs scored to pace the Dirtbags. Briseno and Lina recorded two hits as Briseno drove in two and scored once. Ankeney and Dunn's each posted three hits to lead the Lions (12-9).

Long Beach State (7-13, 1-5 Big West) heads to UC San Diego (11-8, 3-3 Big West) to begin a three-game series Friday night. The action gets underway at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

~#LongBeachBuilt~