Dirtbags
win 16-4 against Aztecs
By
Kim Oswell
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor
The Dirtbags haven’t scored 10 runs in an inning since 2003. That all
changed Tuesday night against San Diego State when Long Beach State defeated
the Aztecs 16-4, thanks to a 10-run offensive rally in the bottom of the third.
The win increased the Dirtbag record to 20-18-1 and dropped SDSU to 15-29 overall.
After 15 hits and nine innings, the 49ers laid the Aztecs to rest.
Dirtbag junior AJ Pinocchio, also nicknamed “son of Geppetto” by
teammates, assumed the role of designated hitter after sitting out two months
due to a shoulder injury. After returning to the lineup April 15, Pinocchio
has had multiple hits in the past five games.
“
AJ came in here with a bad shoulder,” Head Coach Mike Weathers said. “We
have been waiting for him and he has gotten healthy. He has been a real catalyst.”
Pinocchio was 3-for-6 with a bases clearing triple and had a total of four
RBIs in the game.
“
If our pitching has confidence then our hitting will have confidence,” Pinocchio
said.
Freshman Kip Masuda started behind the plate for the Dirtbags and was productive,
going 2-for-5 with 4 RBIs.
The Dirtbags took an early lead in the first when Sean Boatright hit a bases
loaded sacrifice fly to score a run. Boatright, playing right field, went 1-for-4
with two RBIs. Sophomore Brandon Godfrey was 4-for-5 with one RBI, tying a
career-best with four hits in a game. Junior third baseman Evan Longoria was
2-for-3 with two RBIs and is expected to be one of the first 10 picks in the
amateur baseball draft, according to Baseball America. He is also one of the
top four candidates for CSTV’s National Player of the Year award.
Brett Andrade had his first career start on the mound for LBSU, pitching two
innings and striking out four and giving up only one hit. Shane Peterson came
in for relief and went two and two-thirds innings, striking out two.
The Dirtbags batted through the lineup a couple times in the third inning.
The 49ers scored a season-high 16 runs with 15 hits in the game, making the
victory their fourth in a row.
“
We swung the bats like we have been,” Weathers said. “Our offense
has been coming around. Hitting is sometimes contagious and [Robert]Perry,
Pinocchio and Boatright have been hot.”
The Aztec ballclub, lead by veteran major leaguer Tony Gwynn, headed up to
Long Beach after taking two out of three games at University of Northern Las
Vegas over the weekend, but could not capitalize on opportunities to score.
With the win, the Dirtbags evened the score after losing to the Aztecs 3-4
at Tony Gwynn Stadium two weeks ago.
The Beach has a tough three-game series against Pacific this weekend.
“
Pacific is really improved,” Weathers said. “They have really turned
their program around. It will be a tough series.”
The first game of the series begins 6:30 p.m. Friday at Blair Field.
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