Long Beach State University Athletics
Late Push Falls Short as Dirtbags Drop 11-Inning Battle to USD
2/17/2026 9:23:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State battled back to force extra innings but ultimately fell 3-6 in 11 innings to the University of San Diego on Tuesday night at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
Long Beach, Calif. --Â The Dirtbags showed resilience throughout the midweek contest, taking an early lead and rallying late to extend the game before the Toreros pulled away in the 11th.
Long Beach State struck first in the opening inning when Trevor Goldenetz reached and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt Toomey for a 1-0 advantage. The Dirtbags added to the lead in the fourth as Trotter Enright doubled and came around to score on Aaron Perez's sacrifice fly, giving Long Beach State a 2-0 edge.
Freshman left-hander Jaxon Baker delivered a strong outing in his start, working 4.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out three. The Dirtbags' bullpen continued to keep the game within reach as San Diego chipped away late.
After the Toreros moved in front in the eighth, Long Beach State answered in the ninth to force extra innings. Reid Montgomery ignited the rally with a leadoff double and later scored on Jake Evans' sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.
The Dirtbags threatened in the 10th, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position, but the Toreros escaped the jam. San Diego capitalized in the 11th, scoring three runs to take control. Long Beach State continued to compete in the bottom half and brought the tying run to the plate before the comeback bid fell short.Â
At the plate, Toomey led the Dirtbags with two hits and an RBI, while Goldenetz reached base multiple times and scored a run. Enright added a key extra-base hit as Long Beach State continued to show production throughout the lineup.Â
Long Beach State will now turn its attention to the Kleberg Bank College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Dirtbags open the tournament against Pittsburgh on Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. CT (11 a.m. PT), face host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. CT (4 p.m. PT), and close the weekend in a nonconference matchup against CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 22 at 11 a.m. CT (9 a.m. PT).
