Saturday, April 19
Fullerton, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
Long Beach State University
15-21, 9-12
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Cal State Fullerton
20-19, 11-7
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Long Beach State
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6
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Cal State Fullerton
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4
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Photo by: Matthew Medina
Dirtbags Drop Series Finale at Cal State Fullerton
4/19/2025 4:24:00 PM | Baseball
Elliot posts two hits for Long Beach State
FULLERTON, Calif—Cal State Fullerton defeated Long Beach State 6-4 in the Big West series finale on Saturday afternoon in Big West baseball play at Goodwin Field.
Cal State Fullerton starter Kason Krakowski walked Kyle Ashworth and Alex Champagne to begin the top of the first. Nathan Cadena's bunt single loaded the bases. Easton Elliot's single to center scored Ashworth and Champagne and sent Cadena to third. Krakowski struck out Connor Charpiot for the first out. With the count 0-2 to Trotter Enright, the Long Beach State shortstop was called for a pitch clock violation, resulting in the third strike and the out. Elliot stole second before Krakowski struck out Jake Evans, looking to end the inning.
Owen Geiss, LBSU's starter, hit Carter Johnstone with his second pitch of the bottom of the first. Maddox Latta grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice. Andrew Kirchner reached on a single Matt Toomey lost in the sun in left field. Matthew Bardowell grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Krakowski walked Efren Ortega and Ashworth with one out in the top of the second. He hit Champagne with a 3-2 fastball to load the bases. Cadena's infield fly to second was the second out. As Elliot approached the plate, Cal State Fullerton went to the bullpen, calling in Jason Blood to face the Dirtbags' second baseman. Blood won the battle as Elliot lined out to the right for the third out.
Geiss hit Eli Lopez to begin the second. The Titans put the hit-and-run on, which Jakob Schardt executed perfectly as he singled to center, sending Lopez to third. Isaiah Gomez singled through the left side to score Lopez. Geiss was called for a balk, which moved the runners up a base. Geiss bounced back by striking Marcos Rosales and Waldie Perez. Geiss walked Johnstone, the TItans' leading hitter, to load the bases.
Latta reached on a slow roller to third for an infield single and a tie score. Kirchner, the Big West leader in RBI with 50, was hit by a 0-1 Geiss fastball to give Cal State Fullerton the lead for the first time at 3-2. A Geiss 2-0 pitch hit Matthew Bardowell to make it 4-2. Lopez hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the final out.
Champagne's two-out double off the right field wall scored Ortega to bring the Dirtbags within one.
Elliot led off the fifth with an opposite-field double to left center. Charpiot successfully sacrificed Elliot up a base with a bunt to third. Down 1-2 in the count, Enright went with a Blood breaking ball, singling through the left side to score Elliot and tie the game at four. Ryan Faulks relieved Blood and struck out Evans and Toomey to end the frame.
Bardowell reached on an Enright throwing error from shortstop to begin the bottom of the fifth. Lopez fouled off his first two sac bunt attempts before a Geiss wild pitch sent Bardowell to second. Lopez's grounder back to Geiss allowed Bardowell to reach third. He scored on a Schardt sac fly to return the lead to the Titans.
Faulks walked Champagne with two outs in the top of the sixth. Faulks hit Cadena with his first pitch of the at-bat. Fauls struck out Elliot looking with a 1-2 curveball to keep it 5-4.
Perez doubled down the left-field line with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Geiss retired Johnstone on a ground out to first as Perez took third. Albert Roblez relieved Geiss and walked Latta on four pitches. Kirchner grounded out to short.
The Dirtbags stranded the tying run at first in the top of the seventh. Ashworth was hit by a Gavin Meyer pitch with one out in the top of the eighth. Lefty Andrew Wright relieved Meyer to face the lefthanded-hitting Champagne. Wright struck out Champagne before Cadena lined out to right to quiet LBSU. The Titans added an insurance in the bottom of the eighth when Latta doubled with two outs to score Johnstone. Charpiot walked on four Wright pitches with one out in the top of the ninth. Enright grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Cal State Fullerton (20-19, 11-7 Big West) outhit Long Beach State 8-6. Elliot was the only batter for either team with multiple hits, as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI. The five Titans' pitchers combined to record 13 strikeouts. The Dirtbags stranded five runners on base in the first two innings and 11 for the game.
Long Beach State (15-21, 9-12 Big West) hosts USC (25-14) Tuesday night. ESPN+ coverage begins at 6 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton starter Kason Krakowski walked Kyle Ashworth and Alex Champagne to begin the top of the first. Nathan Cadena's bunt single loaded the bases. Easton Elliot's single to center scored Ashworth and Champagne and sent Cadena to third. Krakowski struck out Connor Charpiot for the first out. With the count 0-2 to Trotter Enright, the Long Beach State shortstop was called for a pitch clock violation, resulting in the third strike and the out. Elliot stole second before Krakowski struck out Jake Evans, looking to end the inning.
Owen Geiss, LBSU's starter, hit Carter Johnstone with his second pitch of the bottom of the first. Maddox Latta grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice. Andrew Kirchner reached on a single Matt Toomey lost in the sun in left field. Matthew Bardowell grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Krakowski walked Efren Ortega and Ashworth with one out in the top of the second. He hit Champagne with a 3-2 fastball to load the bases. Cadena's infield fly to second was the second out. As Elliot approached the plate, Cal State Fullerton went to the bullpen, calling in Jason Blood to face the Dirtbags' second baseman. Blood won the battle as Elliot lined out to the right for the third out.
Geiss hit Eli Lopez to begin the second. The Titans put the hit-and-run on, which Jakob Schardt executed perfectly as he singled to center, sending Lopez to third. Isaiah Gomez singled through the left side to score Lopez. Geiss was called for a balk, which moved the runners up a base. Geiss bounced back by striking Marcos Rosales and Waldie Perez. Geiss walked Johnstone, the TItans' leading hitter, to load the bases.
Latta reached on a slow roller to third for an infield single and a tie score. Kirchner, the Big West leader in RBI with 50, was hit by a 0-1 Geiss fastball to give Cal State Fullerton the lead for the first time at 3-2. A Geiss 2-0 pitch hit Matthew Bardowell to make it 4-2. Lopez hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the final out.
Champagne's two-out double off the right field wall scored Ortega to bring the Dirtbags within one.
Elliot led off the fifth with an opposite-field double to left center. Charpiot successfully sacrificed Elliot up a base with a bunt to third. Down 1-2 in the count, Enright went with a Blood breaking ball, singling through the left side to score Elliot and tie the game at four. Ryan Faulks relieved Blood and struck out Evans and Toomey to end the frame.
Bardowell reached on an Enright throwing error from shortstop to begin the bottom of the fifth. Lopez fouled off his first two sac bunt attempts before a Geiss wild pitch sent Bardowell to second. Lopez's grounder back to Geiss allowed Bardowell to reach third. He scored on a Schardt sac fly to return the lead to the Titans.
Faulks walked Champagne with two outs in the top of the sixth. Faulks hit Cadena with his first pitch of the at-bat. Fauls struck out Elliot looking with a 1-2 curveball to keep it 5-4.
Perez doubled down the left-field line with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Geiss retired Johnstone on a ground out to first as Perez took third. Albert Roblez relieved Geiss and walked Latta on four pitches. Kirchner grounded out to short.
The Dirtbags stranded the tying run at first in the top of the seventh. Ashworth was hit by a Gavin Meyer pitch with one out in the top of the eighth. Lefty Andrew Wright relieved Meyer to face the lefthanded-hitting Champagne. Wright struck out Champagne before Cadena lined out to right to quiet LBSU. The Titans added an insurance in the bottom of the eighth when Latta doubled with two outs to score Johnstone. Charpiot walked on four Wright pitches with one out in the top of the ninth. Enright grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Cal State Fullerton (20-19, 11-7 Big West) outhit Long Beach State 8-6. Elliot was the only batter for either team with multiple hits, as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI. The five Titans' pitchers combined to record 13 strikeouts. The Dirtbags stranded five runners on base in the first two innings and 11 for the game.
Long Beach State (15-21, 9-12 Big West) hosts USC (25-14) Tuesday night. ESPN+ coverage begins at 6 p.m.
~#LongBeachBuilt~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Faulks, Ryan (2-1)
L: Geiss, Owen (4-6)
S: Wright, Andrew (6)
Batting:
2B: Champagne, Alex 1 ; Elliot, Easton 1
RBI: Champagne, Alex 1 ; Elliot, Easton 2 ; Enright, Trotter 1
SH: Charpiot, Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Champagne, Alex 1 ; Elliot, Easton 1 ; Ortega, Efren 1
SB: Elliot, Easton 1
HBP: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Champagne, Alex 1 ; Cadena, Nathan 1
Batting:
2B: Johnstone, Carter 1 ; Latta, Maddox 1 ; Perez, Waldie 1
RBI: Latta, Maddox 2 ; Kirchner, Andrew 1 ; Bardowell, Matthew 1 ; Schardt, Jakob 1 ; Gomez, Isaiah 1
SF: Schardt, Jakob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnstone, Carter 2 ; Bardowell, Matthew 1 ; Lopez, Eli 1 ; Schardt, Jakob 1 ; Gomez, Isaiah 1
HBP: Johnstone, Carter 1 ; Latta, Maddox 1 ; Kirchner, Andrew 1 ; Bardowell, Matthew 1 ; Lopez, Eli 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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INF/OF
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