TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1999

The Beach bags Bears despite loss

By Arnold V. Cruz

On-Line Forty-Niner

The Long Beach State men's baseball team came away with two victories of a three-game set against the Baylor Bears over the weekend to open up the season.

On Sunday, the 49ers (2-1) took a 6-2 lead into the top of the ninth and fought off a Baylor (1-2) rally to hang on for the 6-5 victory.

The Beach scored single runs in six of the eight innings, with Terrmel Sledge's first home run of the season to lead off the eighth inning proving to be the game winner.

Freshman Matt Paz (1-0) pitched five innings giving up one earned run, walking three, and striking out three. The 49ers dropped the first game on Friday, 3-2, when Baylor scored two runs in the top of the ninth.

Saturday, The Beach scored in the bottom of the 11th inning, edging Baylor 7-6 when outfielder Jeff Jones singled home left fielder Michael Luera with two outs to give the players their first win of the season.

Luera led off with a single to right, while Kyle Evans replaced reliever Justin Taylor on the mound for the Bears. Shortstop Bobby Crosby sacrificed Luera to second, then Terrmel Sledge was intentionally walked. After second baseman A.J. LaBarbera struck out, Jones singled to score Luera.

Darren Merrill pitched two innings of scoreless relief to pick up the victory for the 49ers.

In Friday's contest, The Beach took a 2-1 lead into the top of the ninth. Forty Niner closer Jeff Leuenberger then came in to face the top of Baylor's lineup.

Leuenberger (0-1) gave up a single to center fielder Jon Topolski, a triple to second baseman Eric Nelson scoring Topolski, and a single to right fielder Jaime Bubela scoring Nelson, giving the Bears a 3-2 victory.

Baseball America ranks the team third in the nation. While Collegiate Baseball has the 49ers at fourth.

The Beach's next opponent is UC Berkeley, who the team will travel north to face on February 12, 13 and 14.