Dirtbags sweep Hornets

While in the midst of a streak in which the Cal State Long Beach baseball team has won 14 of their last 16 games, including nine in a row, skeptics may be starting to see what the 49ers are capable of.

Well, skeptics and the players themselves. "With a lot of junior college transfers, it was hard at first for us to work together as a team," said junior first baseman Toby Sanchez. "Now, it's starting to come together."

And in a big way. The 49ers capped a three-game sweep of Sacramento State Saturday at Blair Field, 10-3, in their third consecutive series sweep of Big West Conference opponents. Prior to the Hornets, the 49ers took three games apiece from UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo during previous weekends.

The win comes after a 4-3 triumph on Friday and a 22-3 whipping on Thursday, which featured an 11-run first inning for the 49ers. The 36 runs over the weekend marks the most for the 49ers in a three-game series this season. It is the highest run total since they tallied 47 against UNLV in 1994.

With the victory , CSULB (20-12, 11-1) tied a school record for consecutive conference victories with 10. The Beach also maintained their three game conference lead over Cal State Fullerton.

"The confidence has come along," said Head Coach Dave Snow, who doesn't believe his club is where it was when conference play began three weeks ago. "From where we were as a team when conference play started, I can honestly say [we're improved]."

Since suffering a three-game sweep in Tennessee one week before conference play began, the 49ers have been unbreakable. In retrospect, the trip to Knoxville seems to mark a turning point.

"We've been swinging the bats real well, even in Tennessee," said Sanchez, who leads the 49ers with a .396 batting average. "Offensively, in Tennessee we gained confidence."

After taking an early 4-0 lead, the 49ers had runners at the corners in the fifth inning after second baseman Steve Doherty reached on a fielder's choice and Sanchez singled. Designated hitter Keith Cowley followed with his team-leading fifth home run of the season, which gave The Beach a commanding 7-0 lead.

Cowley, who is still troubled by a sore right elbow suffered in a pitching outing, was able to put enough into the shot to clear the 400 foot sign in center field. He had four RBI on the day.

Iran Barerra, who took over the No. 3 spot in the 49er starting rotation after Cowley went down, was solid once again, winning his third straight decision and improving to 4-1.

After pushing across a run in the sixth inning on a double by left fielder Joel Walker, the Hornets (10-23, 3-9) got two more in the seventh on a conference-leading 16th homer by second baseman Harvey Hargrove. Hargrove also went deep the night before; both bombs cleared the center field wall.

Right fielder Paul Day went three-for-five for the 49ers, while extending his hitting streak to nine games. The junior transfer out of Saddleback College has not only been flawless in the field (0 errors in 25 games), but has improved his average to .315 since being wedged at .208 (11 for 53) before a series at UCSB two weeks ago. "I have a lot more confidence now," Day said. "I'm seeing the ball real well."

Since the Gaucho series, Day has gone 18 for 39 (.462 over the last nine games). "I was fighting myself," Day said of his early slump. "I wanted to prove myself to the coach and the team."

Snow stuck with Day through thick and thin, and sure enough, he came around. "[Snow] sticking with me is giving me confidence," he said.

The 49ers travel next to Cal State Northridge for a quick one-game stint before heading north for three games this weekend against Pacific.