Dirtbags
pitching leads way in sweep
By
Michael Bower
On-line Forty-Niner
The
Dirtbags put together its best three-game
series of the year sweeping the No. 7-ranked
UC Irvine Anteaters, and moving to 6-0 in
the Big West Conference.
The
Dirtbags (26-9, 6-0) got three outstanding
starts from Jered Weaver, Cesar Ramos and
Jason Vargas. The three combined to give
up just five runs and 16 hits over the three
games. The pitching staff now leads the
nation in ERA at 2.37.
The
offense was running on all cylinders as
well for the Dirtbags – knocking out
two of the three starting Anteater's (23-10-1,
2-4) pitchers before the third inning. Danny
Mocny has been doing serious damage ever
since Big West Conference play has started.
Mocny drilled the Anteaters going a combined
5-for-12 with three RBIs.
"I
am just trying to relax and get a feel for
playing in this conference," third
baseman Mocny said. "I think the team
is really coming together."
Brad
Davis, the catcher, also punished the Anteater
pitching staff with a 5-for-9 performance
in the three games. Davis launched a two-run
homer in the second inning of Saturday's
game to give the Dirtbags a 3-1 lead.
John
Bowker chipped in with four hits and four
runs over the three games. He raised his
team-leading average to a solid .339.
Friday
night belonged to Weaver as he hurled a
complete-game shutout and the Dirtbag offense
got to Anteater ace Brett Smith for one
run in a 3-1 victory at Blair Field in front
of 2,706 fans – the fifth largest
crowd ever to attend a Long Beach State
game.
The
crowd chanted "Weaver! Weaver!"
as he trotted out of the dugout to take
the hill in the top of the ninth inning.
When Weaver recorded the final out he pointed
his hands to the sky.
"I
was really pumped up going into this series,"
said Weaver, who moved to 11-0 and tied
Andy Croghan for the All-time mark at LBSU
with 33 wins. "I knew it was going
to be a battle."
Weaver
was never really threatened as he struck
out 12 without allowing a runner to reach
second base until David Kennedy's double
in the eighth inning. In the sixth inning
Weaver said he told his teammates to just
get him one run.
The
offense listened as Davis singled and went
to third on a hit to right field by Vargas.
Mocny then bounced a ball to shortstop to
bring in the games first run, giving the
Dirtbags a 1-0 lead.
"I
wasn't worried about trying to do too much,"
Mocny said. "I didn't even care if
I got doubled off."
Smith
matched Weaver inning for inning until the
Dirtbags broke through in the seventh. Smith
finished pitching seven innings giving up
the lone run on six hits. His record moved
to 6-1.
Saturday
Cesar Ramos hurled more than eight innings
of six hit baseball, and the offense chased
Anteater starter Glenn Swanson after just
over two innings of work as the Dirtbags
won, 4-2. The offense was led by a towering
two-run homer by Davis in the second inning,
which cemented the lead for the Dirtbags.
Ramos at one point retired 13-of-15 Anteaters
he faced.
"I
thought he picked it up about the third
inning," head coach Mike Weathers said.
Ramos
had a chance to complete the game, but after
giving up a single in the ninth Troy Buckley,
the pitching coach, made the move to closer
Neil Jamison. Jamison recorded his ninth
save of the year.
"I
really wanted to finish the game bad,"
Ramos said.
Bowker
went 2-for-4 and scored two runs for the
Dirtbags as Mike Hofius had two RBIs.
Sunday
the Dirtbags finished off the sweep behind
another stellar performance from the starting
pitcher. This time it was Vargas who threw
six strong innings and got 13 hits from
the offense in a 6-3 Dirtbag win.
Vargas
gave up three runs on six hits while striking
out five and walking one. He was relieved
by Brian Anderson who surrendered just his
third run of the year in the seventh inning.
Steve Velazco had a great day defensively
in right field for the Dirtbags. He made
two great defensive plays in the outfield
including the second out in the eighth inning,
throwing out Gary Dudrey after he tried
to go from first to third on single.
Mocny
went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Josh Buhagiar,
Troy Tulowitzki, Davis and Vargas all had
two hits. Tulowitzki ripped a two-run homer,
his first of the season, to put the Dirtbags
up 5-1.
The
Dirtbags will hit the road to play a three-game
Big West Conference series against Cal Poly
starting Friday night.
|
