The Long Beach State Dirtbags gave No. 9 Ole Miss its first loss of the season, 4-3, in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Blair Field. The visitors evened the nonconference series with a 4-3 win over their own in the nightcap. The series is set to conclude at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“We have such a long ways to go but that’s a really, really good club,” LBSU coach Troy Buckley said. “That just shows that we can play with good teams. But you can’t go out and make mistakes and expect to win against good teams on a consistent basis.”
Quality pitching carried LBSU (4-7) in the first game as junior transfer Clayton Andrews tossed seven strong innings while giving up two earned runs and striking out four. Eli Villalobos preserved the lead in the eighth, and Chris Rivera collected his third save with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth inning.
LBSU second baseman Jarren Duran had three hits, an RBI and a run scored in the victory. Ole Miss (9-1) tied the game 3-3 in the fifth, but freshman Chris Jimenez doubled home fellow freshman Leonard Jones for the go-ahead run.
The second game was fair turnabout as Ole Miss took a 3-0 lead before the Dirtbags tied the game in the fourth. Ole Miss scored in the fifth to hold on for victory.
LBSU will send Wilson High alum Tyler Radcliffe to the mound Sunday to make his first start of the season. Ole Miss will counter with RHP James McArthur. Prior to the game, there will be a naming ceremony for the Honorable Bob & Nancy Foster Dirtbags Locker Room, which will begin at 10:45 a.m. in the third base picnic area.
