Matt Duffy’s run-scoring single off of UC Irvine reliever Race Parmenter in the bottom of the ninth inning secured a Long Beach State baseball team comeback victory against the visiting Anteaters Saturday night at Blair Field, 4-3.
Before Duffy’s liner to center field, Johnny Bekakis led off the inning with a walk that was followed by pinch hitter Brennan Fulkerson’s sacrifice bunt. Kellen Hoime struck out before Parmenter put Jeff McNeil on base to set up Duffy’s heroics.
Dirtbags (17-19, 8-3) pitcher Ryan Strufing started his 10th game of the season lasting six and 1/3 innings but was scored on three times in the game’s opening inning.
Anteaters’ shortstop D.J. Crumlich led off the game with a single to left field and would eventually score on a Connor Spencer single for the first run of the game.
Irvine (20-15, 5-6) would add their second run on a double steal with runners on first and third base. The move caught the Dirtbags off guard coming so early in the game, but Jordan Fox would steal home for his eighth stolen base of the year.
“They kind of caught us by surprise there,” Brennan Metzger said. “We prepare for that but its not something you expect in the first inning.”
Strufing would hold the Anteaters scoreless till Matt Johnson came on in relief of the left-hander with one out in the seventh inning.
Combined, Strufing and Johnson allowed the three first inning runs on eights hits while striking out six and surrendering only one walk. Johnson earned the victory for his first of year.
“Johnson did a nice job and Strufing did a nice job after that first inning,” LBSU head coach Troy Buckley said. “It was a good character win against a good club.”
On Friday night the Dirtbags were no-hit and Saturday night starting pitcher Phillip Ferragamo continued the Anteaters dominance over Long Beach hitters carrying a no-hitter of his own into the third inning.
“I told them not to worry about the no-hitter last night and just play baseball, to worry about what’s in front of you,” Buckley said.
Kellen Hoime’s double down the left field line was the Dirtbags first hit since Bekakis’ single in LBSU’s 5-4 loss to LMU Tuesday night.
“It kind of felt like the monkey was off of our back it was nice to get that first one and open it up a little bit,” Metzger said.
While Hoime’s hit was the first for Long Beach in 12 and 2/3 innings the Dirtbags didn’t score their first run off of Ferragamo until Hoime’s next at-bat in the fifth inning.
Ferragamo began the fifth by hitting Josh Guerra before Bekakis bunted for an infield single putting two Dirtbags on base. Richard Prigatano followed with another bunt sacrificing himself before Hoime’s hit scored Guerra.
The Anteaters would hold their slim lead till the eighth inning when the Dirtbags tied it at three thanks to Brennan Metzger’s single into right field.
Long Beach can win their fifth straight series with a victory on Sunday as Shawn Stuart takes the hill against Irvine.