April 26, 2008

Box Score

Long Beach, Calif. Despite throwing up crooked number in four frames, including three runs in top of the ninth to tie the game, the Pacific Baseball team was outlasted by No. 23 Long Beach State, 14-13, on Saturday, Apr. 26.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 8-30 on the season and 2-12 in the Big West Conference. The 49ers, meanwhile, moved to 25-15 overall and 7-4 in conference play.

Down 13-10 entering the top of the ninth inning, the Tigers faced the task of plating at least three runs against Long Beach State's Nick Vincent and Bryan Shaw. Vincent had allowed just two runs on the season entering the ninth inning and had an opponent's batting average of .115. The Tigers didn't blink.

Senior Adam Ching (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) led off the ninth with a single to left. Sophomore Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) blooped a single into center to put runners at the corners. One out later, freshman Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) drove a single through the left side to plate Ching and send Walker to second. With the tying runs on base, Long Beach State went to Shaw, who entered the game with five saves and a 0.52 ERA. Freshman Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.) greeted Shaw's first pitch with a game-tying double down the right field line, driving home Walker and Longmire.

Shaw got out of the inning without further damage and the 49ers scored the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a hit, a sacrifice bunt and a Pacific error to take the game, 14-13.

Before the ninth inning this epic battle between the Tigers and 49ers gave each team a roller coaster ride.

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the second, the Tigers pulled even when junior Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) belted a two-run single into left center to drive home Martin and sophomore Matt Fuson (Lodi, Calif.), who had each reached on walks.

Long Beach State reclaimed the lead with three runs in the second and one in the third to build a 6-2 edge.

The Tigers responded with a five run fourth, sending 11 batters to the plate. The Tigers loaded the bases in the inning with no outs on infield single from Fuson, Oliveira was hit by a pitch, then Ching bounced a single through the left side. Walker drove in Fuson as he bounced into a fielder's choice, beating the relay throw to first to prevent a double play.

One out later, Longmire roped a single into left-center to drive in Oliveira and make it 6-4. Martin followed with the first of his three doubles in the contest to drive home Walker and chase Long Beach State starter, Vance Worley. Moments later, junior Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) drilled a single off reliever David Brown to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead.

The Tigers extended their lead to 10-6 in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from Walker and a two-run double from Wideman.

Long Beach State started their comeback with single runs in the sixth and seventh, then exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth, capped by a three-run home run from Jason Corder to straight away center field. It was Corder's second home run of the day after hitting a solo shot in the third inning.

Shaw (1-0) earned the victory after blowing the save in the ninth. Shaw recorded two strikeouts and allowed one hit in the game.

Pacific reliever David Rowse (Pleasanton, Calif.) was the tough luck loser, falling to 0-3 as he allowed an unearned run on one hit in the ninth.

Martin finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Wideman was 2-for-5 with four RBI and Longmire was 4-for-6 with two RBI and three runs scored.

Pacific will try to salvage the series finale from Long Beach State on Sunday, Apr. 27 at 1 p.m. in Blair Field.