Patient, quality at-bats were the key to Long Beach's win, but that wasn't the scenario in the early innings of the game. Long Beach grounded into three double plays during the game in key situations with runners on base.
"We had some really good quality at-bats at the end of the game," Head Coach Troy Buckley stated about his team's performance. "There was a lot more intent at the end of the game, and I didn't see that intent in the beginning."
The Dirtbags struggled offensively through most of the contest, and were forced to play catch-up for the entire game. With LMU scoring a run in the second and third inning, the game didn't get interesting until a two RBI single by Brennan Metzger in the sixth inning with the bases loaded tied the game.
LMU answered back the very next frame by scoring two runs from a hit batter by starting pitcher Matt Anderson and a failed attempt at a difficult catch in right field by Richard Prigatano. "Anderson pitched a quality game and even though I kept him in until the seventh inning he was'nt tired," said coach Buckley in regards to his starting pitcher who only threw 71 pitches on the night. "He got out of control throughout the inning and he's an emotional and competitve type of guy, he just wasn't where he needed to be in the seventh."
That was the way game stood until the bottom of the ninth. LMU's Bret Dahlson had trouble commanding his pitches when he beamed Metzger and gave up a walk to Jeff McNeil. A sacrifice to move the runners over and a walk by Michael Hill loaded the bases with one out. Senior catcher Kellen Hoime then worked an impressive eight pitch at-bat to hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Metzger.
With the score 4-3 and down to their last out, Long Beach's Johnny Bekakis (pictured right) singled up the middle on a full count to tie the game and send the contest into extra innings. "I just tried not to get too big," said Bekakis regarding this approach at the plate in the ninth. "The winning run was on first but I just tried to stay in the middle of the field and play my style. Luckily I was able to push a single up the middle."Relief pitcher Kyle Friedrichs shut down the Lions in an easy 1-2-3 fashion in the tenth. In the bottom half, Ino Patron singled to right field. After a sacrifice by Juan Avila, and an intentional walk to Metzger, LMU's Ryan Hawthorne couldn't find the strike zone and gave up walks to McNeil and Yamaguchi giving Long Beach the win.
"With our team we just don't give up," said Bekakis regarding his team's late game heroics. "When one person gets a good at-bat we have a saying called pass the baton, which means one person has a good at-bat and the next guy tries to have a better at-bat. We just try to feed off each other's good play."
With the victory, Long Beach now posts a 22-21 overall record. The series continues tomorrow May 6 at LMU's Page stadium, and Long Beach will wrap up the series Monday night at Blair Field starting at 6:30 p.m.
