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sports:
baseball
Dirtbags outlast
Titans
By Ben Dimapindan
On-line Forty-Niner
The Long Beach
State Dirtbags concluded their trip to the Kia Baseball Bash
on Sunday by outclassing, outplaying and outscoring the No.
24-ranked host Cal State Fullerton Titans, 13-11.
The night belonged
to the Dirtbag's (6-6) offense that ran at full throttle against
its Big West Conference rivals.
LBSU catcher Bryan
Kennedy, who went 3-for-5, produced a stellar performance
at the plate. Kennedy damaged the Titan's pitching throughout
the game, blasting an RBI double in the first, crushing an
RBI single in the fourth and slamming a two-run double in
the sixth inning.
First baseman Jeremy
Reed and pinch hitter/third baseman Edgar Varela also contributed
with big offensive outputs. Reed finished the game 2-for-4
with one RBI and three runs scored, while Varela added three
hits and one RBI.
Dirtbag relief
pitcher Bob Cramer stepped up his game and stuck out a career-high
six batters and allowed only three hits but allowed four unearned
runs.
Starting the game
for the Dirtbags was Matt Paz who pitched five innings and
picked up the victory. Paz gave up only three earned runs
and four unearned runs on eight hits.
The Titans (8-8)
fought back after the Dirtbags established a comfortable 8-1
lead in the third inning. CSUF surged forward with a blitzing
five-run third inning and a four-run eighth inning.
Led by first baseman
Aaron Rifkin, who hit a homerun in the bottom of the eighth
to score three of his CSUF teammates, the Titans sliced the
lead to a mere 12-11.
The Dirtbags, however,
did not let CSUF seize the lead or even tie the game.
In the top of the
ninth, LBSU designated hitter Cole Craig scored a run to boost
the lead to a 13-11, which secured the win for the Dirtbags.
This non-conference
win over the Titans raised the LBSU record back to .500.
The Dirtbags continue
the action on Tuesday as they play an away game at Pepperdine
University.
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