Homerun • Evan Longoria’s two homeruns and diving plays at third helped lead the Dirtbags to victory against UC Irvine Friday and Saturday at Blair Field. Jeffery Patch / Online Forty-Niner

Dirtbags beat UCI in Black and Blue Series



By Kim Oswell
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor


The Black and Blue Rivalry Series started with a punch to the UC Irvine squad as Long Beach State won 7-1 Friday and 6-2 Saturday. Friday’s win against No. 36-ranked UCI marked the opening day of Big West conference play and the ending of the Dirtbag’s seven-game losing streak. The Dirtbags’ record jumped up to 14-15 and 2-0 in Big West and UCI’s record fell to 18-12 and 0-2 in conference.

Starting pitcher for LBSU on Friday, Jared Hughes, went eight innings and struck out five. The Dirtbags were on the board early when Evan Longoria hit his sixth homerun of the year, giving LBSU a 2-0 lead. Tight defense by third baseman Longoria in the second inning held the Anteaters from retaliating against his first inning homerun.

The Dirtbag offense continued in the third inning when Robert Perry hit a blooper single to lead 3-0.
UCI finally got on the board in the eighth when Hughes gave up two doubles and Taylor Holiday scored the first and only run for the Anteaters.

The Dirtbags rallied in the bottom of the eighth with four more runs, due to a bases loaded walk and an RBI single from Tom Wolf. Starting UCI pitcher Justin Cassel went seven innings, giving up five hits and five runs, four of them earned.

After the clash of the Titans a week ago, the Dirtbags countered back against UCI with tough defense and timely hitting.

Longoria was only a triple short of hitting for the cycle on Saturday, but he had a two-run homerun to aid the 6-2 win over UCI, going 3-for-5.

Starter Andrew Carpenter, 4-2, pitched a complete game for LBSU and striking out eight for his third complete outing of the year.

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