Behind six no-hit innings from Jake Stassi and Ryan Strufing, the Long Beach State baseball team silenced the bats of San Diego State in a 3-1 victory Tuesday at Blair Field after returning from a seven-game roadstretch.
Stassi and Strufing (1-0) each threw three innings and combined to strike out three batters, while walking an additional three.
Both teams were held scoreless until the fifth inning when LBSU broke the game open with a leadoff walk to first baseman Jeff Yamaguchi followed by a double from right fielder Mike Avila.
With both runners on second and third, Dirtbags center fielder Brennan Metzger drove in Yamaguchi for the first run of the game after he took a fastball by Aztecs pitcher Mike Hachadorian (0-2) deep to center field for a sacrifice fly.
Later in the inning, LBSU (15-12) left fielder Jeff McNeil cracked a two-out RBI single up the middle to bring another run home before he was thrown out on an attempted double.
The Aztecs (9-20) finally broke up LBSU’s bid for a no-hitter in the seventh inning when SDSU right fielder Chris Wilson hit an infield single to Dirtbags third baseman Mike Marjama, who couldn’t come up with the ball to make the throw to first.
LBSU responded, though, as it tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning when Metzger doubled home Avila for his second RBI of the evening to give the Dirtbags a 3-0 lead. Avila reached base after slicing a triple down the left field line, which marked his sixth hit in his last eight at-bats.
Avila went hitless in March before going 8-for-14 with a pair of home runs in April to lead The Beach to three victories in its last four games.
“My [approach] was off so [me and LBSU hitting coach Sean Gilbert] worked on it and it clicked,” Avila said. “I’m seeing the ball a lot better now.”
SDSU eventually got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning. Aztecs center fielder Brandon Meredith hit an RBI single off LBSU reliever Nate Underwood to bring home second baseman Evan Potter.
Dirtbags closer Eddie Magallon would come in to induce an inning-ending pop fly from Wilson to limit the damage before pitching a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save of the season.
The Dirtbags will return to conference play this weekend for a three-game series against UC Davis. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday followed by a 5:30 start Saturday for a Troy Tulowitzki bobblehead giveaway to the first 1500 fans in attendance.
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