LOS ANGELES – The Dirtbags cruised to an 11-1 road win over No. 9 UCLA last night, going wild on a Bruins pitching staff that hadn’t given up more than seven runs in a game all year.
Long Beach State (18-20) had one of its best offensive performances of the season and pitched well to back it up in a rare Tuesday-night win over the Bruins. UCLA (25-12) has only lost twice on Tuesdays in the last two seasons.
“[UCLA] has a tremendous team,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “Their pitching staff is arguably one of the better ones in the country … Anytime you can beat this team in their park, it’s a very good win.”
The Dirtbags got off to a hot start, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. They didn’t let up, as Zack Rivera and Jeff McNeil each hit RBI doubles in a six-run third inning that gave The Beach an insurmountable 8-0 lead.
“It just kept us rolling throughout the whole game,” McNeil said of the big inning. McNeil finished with two hits, two walks, two RBIs and two runs and has reached base in 16 consecutive games.
Even with a comfortable lead, the Dirtbags weren’t finished knocking the ball around Jackie Robinson Stadium. In the fifth inning, left fielder Ino Patron crushed a first-pitch fastball off the scoreboard in right field for a three-run home run. It was the first home run of the year for Patron, who said the shot was among the longest of his career.
“Oh man, it felt pretty good,” he said. “It’s up there. It’s up there in my career.”
Backing up the offensive onslaught was a very solid performance by Dirtbags pitchers. Starting southpaw Nick Sabo pitched five scoreless innings in his first start in over a month, and the bullpen was just as effective. The only run scored by the Bruins came on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
“I thought [Sabo] was aggressive tonight,” Buckley said. “I thought he forced some contact, and that part was very encouraging for him, either in a long [relief] role or whatever happens as we continue to evolve.”
Though the game was meaningless in terms of the Big West Conference title race, it provided the Dirtbags with some much-needed momentum. The win was just their fourth road victory of the season and their first nonconference road win since February.
LBSU will next host Cal Poly, a team that has been ranked in the national top 25 since early in the season. The series will have huge implications in the Big West standings, as the Dirtbags and Mustangs are currently locked in a tie for third place in the conference.
“I think [the win] makes everybody a little more confident, knowing that we can beat anyone in the nation,” McNeil said. “We’ve got Cal Poly coming up, so hopefully we can beat them too.”
The first game of the three-game series against Cal Poly will start at 6 p.m. on Friday at Blair Field.