Baseball, Men's Sports, Sports

Dirtbags claw back to beat Gophers

First baseman Jacob Hughey stared into left field adjusting his gloves with runners on the corners in the seventh inning of a tie game against Minnesota before driving a sacrifice fly into center field. His team-leading 10th RBI of the season scored the go ahead run of the Dirtbags’ 6-4 win Saturday.

“We’re just trying to play for each other right now,” Hughey said

The victory came in a game with three lead changes and gives the Dirtbags a shot at winning its first series of the season.

“It was scrappy,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “I thought guys fought.”

Senior center fielder Brooks Stotler stole his fourth base in the bottom of the first, allowing him to score and tie the game 1-1 in the following at bat. He also added a triple in the third inning.

Dirtbags’ sophomore ace LHP Adam Seminaris retired 10 in a row after the Gophers scored their first run. The streak was broken with a Minnesota two-out walk in the fourth followed by a two-run homer and a single, giving it a 4-2 lead.

“I would like to see [Seminaris] execute a little better when he’s ahead in the count,” Buckley said.

Seminaris pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. He stuck out four and walked two.

“[Our offense] put up six runs tonight which really helped my mentality going into every inning,” Seminaris said.

A single from freshman second baseman Tyler Porter and an error put Dirtbags’ runners on second and third in the bottom of the fourth. After a run-scoring wild pitch, junior catcher Dominic Campeau hit a sacrifice fly to bring Porter home and tie the game 4-4.

Hughey’s sacrifice fly in the seventh was followed by what should have been a double-play. However, an aggressive slide from right fielder Calvin Estrada at second prevented the second out and allowed a run to score.

Minnesota loaded the bases down by two in the ninth inning, but RHP Dylan Spacke earned the final out via strikeout to seal the win.

Long Beach ends the home stand and the series against Minnesota 1 p.m. Sunday at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

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