Report From LBSU Sports Information Department
The Long Beach State (4-23) offense busted out in a big way, matching its season high with 14 runs scored to defeat No. 5 Arizona State (25-2) on Tuesday night. It was Long Beach State’s first win of the season away from home, while giving ASU its first home loss of the season, making the Sun Devils 22-1 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. It’s also LBSU’s third win over a nationally-ranked team this season.
There were plenty of highlights for the Dirtbags, but perhaps the best performance of the night was by freshman and Arizona native Tyler Porter, who had a career-high four RBIs. He was also one of four Dirtbags who drew multiple walks in the game.
Speaking of walks, junior Jake Vander Wal became the first Dirtbag to draw four walks in a game since TJ Mittelstaedt on May 11, 2007 at UC Santa Barbara. Vander Wal also becomes the sixth Dirtbag to walk four times in a game since 1997. He also led the team with three runs scored in Tuesday’s win, tied with senior Brooks Stotler.
Jacob Hughey had a team-leading three hits, scoring twice. LBSU drew 12 walks as a team, and seven different players scored runs with five of those players scoring multiple runs. LBSU was also 6/16 with two outs on Tuesday, while ASU was just 1/10.
The Dirtbags got off to a perfect start, scoring four times in the first inning after two walks and a bunt single. Calvin Estrada lined a sacrifice fly to center, then Vander Wal doubled off the right field wall to bring home another run. RBIs by Chase Luttrell and Dominic Campeau cashed in two more runs to make it 4-0 Long Beach after a half inning.
After ASU scored three times in the bottom of the first, LBSU’s offense went to work with two outs. Hughey doubled to left center and was singled home by Estrada. Vander Wal followed with a walk, then Luttrell hit a ground-rule double to center to bring home another run. A dropped fly ball in center field allowed two more runs to score before Porter capped the rally with an RBI knock.
LBSU added four more runs to put the game out of reach in the fifth inning, highlighted by a three-run double from Porter.
Arizona State scored three runs in the first and put up a five-spot in the eighth inning to make things a little more interesting, but for the most part the Dirtbags bullpen was effective against one of the top offenses in the nation. Zak Baayoun worked three innings to settle the game down and earn the win, allowing one run on a solo home run and collecting three strikeouts. Tyler Gums tossed two scoreless innings with four punchouts, Jonathan Carlos worked a perfect seventh inning and Dylan Spacke collected the final five outs to close the door.
The Dirtbags will look to carry this momentum into Big West play, which starts this weekend at No. 19 UC Irvine. ESPN3 will broadcast the first two games of the series, which gets underway on Friday at 6 p.m.
