Tuesday, May 6
Long Beach, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
Long Beach State University
19-27
4
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UCLA
34-14
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9
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UCLA
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Long Beach State
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1
X
4
8
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Photo by: Devin Malast, @Devin.raquel_photo
The Dirtbags Upset No. 17 UCLA 4-2
5/6/2025 9:41:00 PM | Baseball
Five Long Beach State pitchers combine on a four-hitter
LONG BEACH, Calif.—Five Long Beach State pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the Dirtbags upset No. 17 UCLA 4-2 in the final home game of the 2025 regular season for LBSU Tuesday night at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
The Dirtbags took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Armando Brisenio's two-out RBI single that plated Alex Champagne.
Long Beach State starter Van Larson retired the first 10 UCLA batters before Roch Cholowsky singled through the left side with one out in the top of the fourth. Mulivai Levu tied the game with a triple to the left-center gap that Champagne nearly came up with as he dove for the ball. Roman Martin walked to give the Bruins runners on the corners.
Martin attempted to steal with the count 0-2 to AJ Salgado. Dirtbags' catcher Conner Stewart threw down to Nathan Cadena at short, where Martin was called out. Larson struck out Salgado to keep the score 1-1.
Stewart singled to begin the bottom of the fifth. Jake Evans attempted to put down a sac bunt but was hit by a Josh Alger pitch. With lefty Kyle Ashworth coming to bat, UCLA called in lefty Ryan Rissas to face LBSU's leading hitter. On Rissas' first pitch, Stewart broke for third. The resulting 2-6-5 putout became the first out. Ashworth singled through the right side to send Evans into scoring position.
Cadena walked to load the bases. Champagne walked on four straight pitches to return the lead to the Dirtbags. Armando Briseno struck out before Matt Toomey was hit by a 3-1 Rissas pitch for a 3-1 score. Cal Randall relieved Rissas and got Connor Charpiot to ground out to third to end the inning.
Larson walked Martin to begin the seventh. Salgado hit a ground between Charpiot and Trotter Enright, the second baseman. Enright fielded the ball and threw it to Larson for the first out, and Martin went to second in the play. Payton Brennan walked for runners on first and second. Kasen Khansarina hit into a 5-4 fielder's choice for the second out. With runners on the corners, Larson hit Blake Balsz with a 1-1 breaking ball.
Righty Alex Ramos was called in to relieve Larson as the righthanded-hitting Phoenix Call came to bat. UCLA countered by sending up a lefthanded pinch-hitter in Aidan Espinoza. Ramos hit Espinoza with his first pitch to create a 3-2 score. Dean West flew out to right field to end the inning.
Jakob Russell relieved Ramos in the top of the eighth. Cholowsky worked the count to 3-2 before hitting a single to center. Levu grounded into a 3-6 fielder's choice for out number one. Jake Fields relieved Russell. Martin, UCLA's cleanup hitter, struck out on a 2-2 Fields' curve ball. Fields walked Salgado before running the count to 3-2 to Brennan. He hit a shot up the middle that Cadena grabbed for the final out.
With two outs in the eighth, Justin Lee walked Enright. With the count 1-0 to Stewart, Lee came out of the game due to an apparent injury. Easton Hawk relieved Lee. A passed ball and a Hawk pitch resulted in Enright heading to third. Stewart singled up the middle to drive in Enright for the fourth LBSU run.
Josh Donegan came on to attempt to close it out for the Dirtbags in the ninth. He walked Khansarinia on a 3-2 breaking pitch to start the inning. Balsz flew out to Reid Montgomery, who entered as a defensive replacement to begin the ninth in leftfield. Pinch-hitter Cashel Dugger's grounder went under Charpiot's glove at first. The fielding error resulted in runners on second and third for the Bruins.
West's fly ball to Montgomery left wasn't deep enough for Khansarinia to attempt to score as redshirt freshman came up throwing. Cholowsky was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Montgomery to make a diving catch of a Levu liner in shallow leftfield to end the game in favor of the Dirtbags.
Larson, a junior, threw a career-high 6.2 innings. He gave up three hits, struck out four, and walked three. Donegan recorded his second save of the year for Long Beach State. Stewart went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Dirtbags. Cholowsky was 2-for-4 for the Bruins (34-14).
Long Beach State (19-27, 12-15 Big West) travels to UC Riverside (16-30, 5-19 Big West) this weekend. The three-game set gets underway Friday night. Coverage on ESPN+ begins at 6 p.m.
The Dirtbags took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Armando Brisenio's two-out RBI single that plated Alex Champagne.
Long Beach State starter Van Larson retired the first 10 UCLA batters before Roch Cholowsky singled through the left side with one out in the top of the fourth. Mulivai Levu tied the game with a triple to the left-center gap that Champagne nearly came up with as he dove for the ball. Roman Martin walked to give the Bruins runners on the corners.
Martin attempted to steal with the count 0-2 to AJ Salgado. Dirtbags' catcher Conner Stewart threw down to Nathan Cadena at short, where Martin was called out. Larson struck out Salgado to keep the score 1-1.
Stewart singled to begin the bottom of the fifth. Jake Evans attempted to put down a sac bunt but was hit by a Josh Alger pitch. With lefty Kyle Ashworth coming to bat, UCLA called in lefty Ryan Rissas to face LBSU's leading hitter. On Rissas' first pitch, Stewart broke for third. The resulting 2-6-5 putout became the first out. Ashworth singled through the right side to send Evans into scoring position.
Cadena walked to load the bases. Champagne walked on four straight pitches to return the lead to the Dirtbags. Armando Briseno struck out before Matt Toomey was hit by a 3-1 Rissas pitch for a 3-1 score. Cal Randall relieved Rissas and got Connor Charpiot to ground out to third to end the inning.
Larson walked Martin to begin the seventh. Salgado hit a ground between Charpiot and Trotter Enright, the second baseman. Enright fielded the ball and threw it to Larson for the first out, and Martin went to second in the play. Payton Brennan walked for runners on first and second. Kasen Khansarina hit into a 5-4 fielder's choice for the second out. With runners on the corners, Larson hit Blake Balsz with a 1-1 breaking ball.
Righty Alex Ramos was called in to relieve Larson as the righthanded-hitting Phoenix Call came to bat. UCLA countered by sending up a lefthanded pinch-hitter in Aidan Espinoza. Ramos hit Espinoza with his first pitch to create a 3-2 score. Dean West flew out to right field to end the inning.
Jakob Russell relieved Ramos in the top of the eighth. Cholowsky worked the count to 3-2 before hitting a single to center. Levu grounded into a 3-6 fielder's choice for out number one. Jake Fields relieved Russell. Martin, UCLA's cleanup hitter, struck out on a 2-2 Fields' curve ball. Fields walked Salgado before running the count to 3-2 to Brennan. He hit a shot up the middle that Cadena grabbed for the final out.
With two outs in the eighth, Justin Lee walked Enright. With the count 1-0 to Stewart, Lee came out of the game due to an apparent injury. Easton Hawk relieved Lee. A passed ball and a Hawk pitch resulted in Enright heading to third. Stewart singled up the middle to drive in Enright for the fourth LBSU run.
Josh Donegan came on to attempt to close it out for the Dirtbags in the ninth. He walked Khansarinia on a 3-2 breaking pitch to start the inning. Balsz flew out to Reid Montgomery, who entered as a defensive replacement to begin the ninth in leftfield. Pinch-hitter Cashel Dugger's grounder went under Charpiot's glove at first. The fielding error resulted in runners on second and third for the Bruins.
West's fly ball to Montgomery left wasn't deep enough for Khansarinia to attempt to score as redshirt freshman came up throwing. Cholowsky was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Montgomery to make a diving catch of a Levu liner in shallow leftfield to end the game in favor of the Dirtbags.
Larson, a junior, threw a career-high 6.2 innings. He gave up three hits, struck out four, and walked three. Donegan recorded his second save of the year for Long Beach State. Stewart went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Dirtbags. Cholowsky was 2-for-4 for the Bruins (34-14).
Long Beach State (19-27, 12-15 Big West) travels to UC Riverside (16-30, 5-19 Big West) this weekend. The three-game set gets underway Friday night. Coverage on ESPN+ begins at 6 p.m.
~#LongBeachBuilt~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Larson, Van (1-0)
L: Rissas, Ryan (0-2)
S: Donegan, Josh (2)
Batting:
2B: Balsz, Blake 1
3B: Levu, Mulivai 1
RBI: Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Espinoza, Aidan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Martin, Roman 1
CS: Martin, Roman 1
HBP: Balsz, Blake 1 ; Espinoza, Aidan 1
Batting:
2B: Champagne, Alex 1
RBI: Champagne, Alex 1 ; Briseno, Armando 1 ; Toomey, Matt 1 ; Stewart, Conner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ashworth, Kyle 1 ; Champagne, Alex 1 ; Enright, Trotter 1 ; Evans, Jake 1
CS: Stewart, Conner 1
HBP: Toomey, Matt 1 ; Evans, Jake 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
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RBI
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RBI
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AB
3
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0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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INF/OF
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