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After two scoreless innings the Long Beach State Dirtbags found themselves in a battle Friday night in a Big West contest against UC San Diego Friday night at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
With All-American Devereaux Harrison starting for a second straight week, the sophomore kept the Tritons off balance and shook off a walk and double in the second inning striking out the side to keep the game scoreless after the second inning.
The Dirtbags wouldn’t be able to keep the Tritons off the board as the Tritons had timely hitting and took advantage of LBSU mistakes to take the series opener in a 7-6 win.
“That wasn’t a good game,” Long Beach State head coach Eric Valenzuela said. “That’s not a good loss at home, but we got to credit them, they beat us. They had big hits.”
Along with the loss, the Dirtbags were without the services of Luis Ramirez who got the week off due to dealing with deltoid tendonitis according to Valenzuela.
UCSD (10-15, 3-4) took an early lead in the third inning after Luke Glascoe singled to center and Jalen Smith drilled a home run over the left field wall to give the Tritons a 2-0 lead.
The Dirtbags (13-11, 3-4) had an answer in the fourth inning as Rocco Peppi and Chase Luttrell singled to start the inning.
Peyton Schulze made it a 2-1 game after he singled to left center to push a run across.
After a balk put runners on second and third, Sebastian Murillo cleared the bases with a triple to right field to give the Dirtbags a 3-2 lead at the end of the fourth.
The Tritons wasted no time and tied the game on a fielder’s choice which pushed another run across at the top of the fifth.
The middle of the Dirtbags lineup had a great night as Rocco Peppi, Chase Luttrell and Peyton Schulze went 8-for-13 with two RBIs.
Jonathan Long got on base after a hit-by-pitch and Luttrell singled to push Long to second.
Schulze gave the Dirtbags a 4-3 lead when he singled to right field.
The Dirtbags pitching held tough until the seventh inning when the Tritons pushed for runs across to put the game away for good.
In the eighth inning Chris Jimenez came in as a pinch-hitter and delivered as he drilled a two-run homer to the right field bullpen to make it a 7-6 lead.
In the ninth inning LBSU had one last chance but couldn’t convert when they had two baserunners.
The Dirtbags will look to even the series on Saturday at 3 p.m.
