Report by LBSU
Steve Tinoco tied a team season-high with four RBI, three coming on his first home run of the season as Long Beach State defeated Cal Poly 12-8 in the first game of a three-game series. Andrew Gagnon earned his fifth win of the season, striking out seven over seven innings while allowing one earned run.
Tinoco, Kellen Hoime and Devin Lohman all had three hits as Long Beach State took a big early lead and held on to defeat the Mustangs Friday night.
Cal Poly took an early lead as Adam Melker doubled in the first inning, and scored on an RBI hit by Bobby Crocker to put the Mustangs on top 1-0.
The Dirtbags rallied to tie the score in the third inning after a leadoff double by Hoime, and then posted three big innings to take a commanding lead through six.
In the fourth, Jordan Casas singled to start the frame, and after a double by Tinoco, Hoime came through again with his second straight double, scoring both runners and giving the Dirtbags their first lead. Hoime then scored for the second time on a sacrifice fly from Brennan Metzger to make the score 4-1.
The next inning, Lohman picked up his third hit with a leadoff double, and scored on a single by Joey Terdoslavich. After another single, Tinoco then cracked his first homer of the season to left field, a three run shot that made the score 8-1. Three more hits in the fifth brought home another run to make the score 9-1.
After a Mustang run in the bottom of the fifth, the Dirtbags piled on three more, following up a walk to Joey Terdoslavich with three straight hits, capped by a double from TJ Mittelstaedt to put Long Beach State out in front 12-2.
Cal Poly scored a pair of unearned runs, one each in the sixth and seventh innings to set up the Mustangs’ late inning comeback. Cris Trout retired the Mustangs in order in the eighth, but in the ninth inning, Cal Poly loaded the bases after Josh Corrales was unable to get an out. David Brown faced three batters and picked up an out on a sacrifice fly, but a single scored a run and a walk loaded the bases once more, leading to another pitching change.
Two singles made the score 12-8 with the bases loaded, but on a fly ball to Jonathan Jones, Cal Poly’s Jake Thompson got caught off second base for the game-ending double play as the Dirtbags improved to a season-high 20-18.
Long Beach State returns to Baggett Stadium for game two against the Mustangs at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Jake Thompson takes the mound for the Dirtbags, and will face D.J. Mauldin of Cal Poly.