Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
7-13
LMU
7-16
Dirtbags Erupt For Season-High 16 Runs In Win Over LMU
3/17/2026 10:35:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State scored in eight innings Tuesday night, using a six-run eighth to pull away from Loyola Marymount University for a 16-7 victory at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
Smith Chandler highlighted the offensive surge with his first home run of the season, while Trevor Goldenetz and Jake Evans each collected three hits and two RBI. Tyler Gebb earned his first win of the year in relief, covering two innings and allowing just one unearned run as Long Beach State's bullpen helped secure the midweek victory.
LMU came out quickly in the first inning, using four hits to build a 3-0 lead before the Dirtbags recorded an out on offense. Richie Klosek delivered the biggest early swing with a two-run triple after Andrew Mhoon's RBI single had already opened the scoring.
Long Beach State answered immediately in the bottom half. Trevor Goldenetz led off with an infield bunt single, and Jake Evans was hit by a pitch before Dylan Lina drew a walk to load the bases. Smith Chandler then worked a bases-loaded walk to bring home the first run, and Matt Toomey followed with a sacrifice fly to left, cutting the deficit to 3-2 before the inning ended with the tying run stranded.
The Dirtbags pulled even in the second after Ty Borgogno singled, and Damon Valdez's sacrifice bunt forced a throwing error that allowed Borgogno to reach third. Evans then lined an RBI single to shallow right, and moments later Valdez scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 4-4.
Chandler pushed Long Beach State in front for good in the third inning, sending a leadoff homerun over the wall in deep center for his first home run of the season and a 5-3 lead.
After Damon Valdez opened the fourth inning with a double to left field, Long Beach State continued to pressure the Lions by moving him to third on Trevor Goldenetz's sacrifice bunt, though LMU recorded the next two outs to keep the score at 5-3.
The Dirtbags added on again in the fifth when Luke Taylor doubled home Toomey after catcher's interference extended the inning. Gebb took over on the mound in the top half and retired the side in order, helping preserve a 6-3 lead while earning his first victory of the season.
LMU picked up an unearned run in the sixth. Goldenetz and Evans opened the inning with consecutive singles before Dylan Lina lined a two-run single to left-center, restoring a four-run cushion at 8-4.
Long Beach State added two more in the seventh when Valdez drove in Toomey with a groundout and Evans followed with another RBI single, extending the lead to 10-4.
The Lions briefly tightened the game in the eighth when Winfield Gurney hit a three-run homer to left, cutting the margin to 10-7, but the Dirtbags delivered their biggest inning of the season in response.
Three walks and two hit batters fueled a six-run bottom of the eighth as Luke Taylor and Borgogno each forced in runs before Goldenetz lined a two-run single and Trotter Enright followed with a two-run double to left, stretching the lead to 16-7. The six-run frame gave Long Beach State its highest scoring output of the season.
Gebb, Joey Iglesias, Ka'imi Kahalekai and Erick Diez combined to finish the final five innings, with Diez working a scoreless ninth to close out the win.
Long Beach State returns to Big West play on the road this weekend against California State University, Bakersfield. First pitch for Friday's series opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Bakersfield as the Dirtbags look to build on their three-game winning streak.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gebb, Tyler (1-0)
L: Johnson, Alec (0-2)
Batting:
3B: Klosek, Richie 1
HR: Gurney, Winfield 1
RBI: Lyall, Jake 1 ; Gurney, Winfield 3 ; Klosek, Richie 2 ; Mhoon, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lyall, Jake 1 ; Danos, Luca 1 ; Friend, Travis 1 ; Gurney, Winfield 1 ; Klosek, Richie 1 ; Mhoon, Andrew 1 ; Wall, Jaxson 1
SB: Friend, Travis 1 ; Mhoon, Andrew 1 ; Wall, Jaxson 1
CS: Ghiorso, DJ 1
HBP: Danos, Luca 1
Batting:
2B: Toomey, Matt 1 ; Enright, Trotter 1 ; Taylor, Luke 1 ; Valdez, Damon 1
HR: Chandler, Smith 1
RBI: Evans, Jake 2 ; Toomey, Matt 1 ; Borgogno, Ty 1 ; Enright, Trotter 2 ; Taylor, Luke 2 ; Lina, Dylan 2 ; Chandler, Smith 2 ; Goldenetz, Trevor 2 ; Valdez, Damon 1
SH: Borgogno, Ty 1 ; Goldenetz, Trevor 1 ; Valdez, Damon 1
SF: Toomey, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Evans, Jake 1 ; Toomey, Matt 3 ; Borgogno, Ty 2 ; Enright, Trotter 1 ; Taylor, Luke 2 ; Chandler, Smith 2 ; Goldenetz, Trevor 3 ; Tomlin, Taylor 1 ; Valdez, Damon 1
SB: Chandler, Smith 1
CS: Toomey, Matt 1
HBP: Evans, Jake 2 ; Toomey, Matt 1 ; Lina, Dylan 1
