Led by starting pitcher Ryan Strufing’s eight innings of one-run baseball, the Long Beach State baseball team defeated No. 20-ranked Cal, 2-1 on Sunday to win the weekend series with the Bears.
Strufing, the Big West Pitcher of the Week, did not surrender a walk in eight innings of work, and has yet to walk a batter in two starts this season. The sophomore left-hander struck out five batters on Sunday on 101 pitches, 71 of which were strikes.
“I thought Strufing was outstanding,” LBSU head coach Troy Buckley said. “He used his off-speed pitches when he needed to and he established his fastball early. As long as he keeps the ball down in the [strike] zone he’s just playing catch.”
The Dirtbags (4-3) scored the first runs of the game in the second inning. Junior Juan Avila led off the inning with a walk that was followed by Bears starting pitcher Michael Theofanopoul hitting LBSU senior designated hitter Jonathan Kim with a pitch.
After sophomore Jeff Yamaguchi laid down a bunt to move the two runners over, senior catcher Kellen Hoime singled in both Avila and Kim to give the Dirtbags the early lead.
Hoime’s run-scoring single was the last hit that LBSU would register the rest of the game. Theofanopoul held LBSU to just two hits.
The lone run the Bears (4-2) would score off of Long Beach pitching was in the fourth inning, off of Chad Bunting double down the left field line that scored Bears designated hitter Vince Bruno.
In the last two games of the series against Cal pitching, the Dirtbags scored a combined three runs, compared to Friday’s opener where LBSU put seven runs on the board against ace Justin Jones.
“We have enough returning players to get our offense going,” Buckley said. “At some point we’ll have to create and not wait for other teams to give us opportunities.”
One of the lone bright spots for the Dirtbags offense again was Juan Avila, who reached base twice. Avila finished the three-game series with five hits in 12 at-bats while scoring twice.
LBSU relief pitcher Jon Maciel earned his first save of the season by dropping the Bears in order to close out the ninth inning.
The Dirtbags play their first road game of the season against No. 22 UCLA Tuesday with Matt Johnson scheduled to take the hill for LBSU.