Day's streak ends, winning continues on

By Mike Besack, On-line Forty-Niner

March 19,1998

Put the 49ers' 7-4 victory Tuesday night aside. This weekend will spell out the entire season.

It didn't really show against Pepperdine, but the bats on the Long Beach State baseball team are as lively as they have been in a while - averaging more than 12 runs per game over the 49ers' 12 game winning streak - the biggest test of the season awaits just a few miles down the freeway.

As Big West Conference rival Cal State Fullerton waits for this weekend's showdown, the 49ers (14-8, 6-0) have given the Titans - and Coach George Horton who was in the Blair Field stands Tuesday - a little something to think about before Friday's opener.

Intellectual involvement or not, this weekend's series should provide more hits than a Pamela-Tommy website would get in a month.

"I anticipate close games," Long Beach Coach Dave Snow said. "But you never know what's going to happen with college baseball. It's an important series, but it's only three out of 30 this season."

The 49ers banged out 10 hits, making it the 11th straight game the squad has hit in double figures.

But third baseman Paul Day went hitless in four at bats. He saw his 21-game hitting streak (24 dating back to last season) come to a close.

"He kind of lost his discipline at the plate," Snow said. "I don't know if he's pressing to get a hit or if he's just not relaxing."

A fresh start for Day could, indeed, be beneficial as he might be able to relax at the plate and not think about streaks against Fullerton.

Compared to past endeavors during the winning streak, Long Beach managed a slim seven runs against the Waves (15-11-1) and let go of a 6-1 sixth-inning lead.

Leading 2-1, 49er first baseman Jason Yount led off the fourth inning with a double and later scored with Bryan Kennedy on a double to the gap by shortstop Justin Hall.

After a walk, second baseman Curt Lee drove in Kennedy on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.

Terrmel Sledge then cleared the bases with the 49ers' third double of the inning.

Sledge, Kennedy, Hall and Chuck Lopez each had two hits.

Sledge drove in three runs; Kennedy drove in one to give him a team-leading 40 on the season.