April 2, 2011

Box Score

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STOCKTON, Calif. - Senior 1B Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.) and junior RF Allen Riley (Fresno, Calif.) each posted a pair of hits, but the Pacific Tigers dropped game two of their three-game set against Long Beach State, 5-3, Saturday night at Klein Family Field.

Long Beach State (14-11, 2-0 Big West) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one and half innings and tacked on a three-run fourth. Pacific (7-16, 0-2 Big West) clawed out runs in the second, fifth and eighth, but couldn't come all the way back.

The 49ers opened the first with a one-out infield single by RF Matt Hibbert. After a groundout advanced Hibbert to second, catcher Mike Marjama picked up a single to right for a 1-0 LBSU lead. In the second, 3B Michael Hill doubled to right with one out and came into score on a single to right from LF Jeff McNeil.

Riley led off the second inning with a triple into the right field corner, and 3B Dustin Torchio (Santa Cruz, Calif.) followed with a long foul fly to left field enabling Riley to score on the sacrifice fly.

But Long Beach hung three runs on Pacific starting RHP Marcus Pointer (Pacifica, Calif.), as 1B Ino Patron and DH Jonathan Kim led off with back-to-back singles. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners, SS Kirk Singer doubled to right field to extend the lead to 4-1. McNeil dropped a bunt single to move Singer to third, and Singer scored on the fifth 49ers' run on a RBI groundout on a fielder's choice by CF Brennan Metzger.

Torchio led off the fifth with a walk off Long Beach State starter Branden Pinder (1-3), and with two outs junior CF Brett Christopher (Livermore, Calif.) doubled into the right centerfield gap. Torchio cross the plate with the Tigers' second run, but Christopher was gunned down at third trying to stretch the deep fly into a triple.

Pinder gave way to the 49ers' bullpen after six innings, allowing two earned on four hits. He struck out six and walked one while hitting a batter. RHP Matt Johnson took over, and the Tigers picked up a run in the eight as Johnson began his second inning of work.

Redshirt sophomore Tyger Pederson (Palo Alto, Calif.) pinch hit and reached with a walk to open the eighth, and sophomore pinch-hitter John Haberman (Stockton, Calif.) followed with a double into the right field corner as the Tigers cut the lead to 5-3. But Johnson struck out Christopher, and RHP Matt Underwood was summoned from the bullpen to face junior LF Daniel Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.). Johnston, riding an 11-game hit streak entering the game, grounded out to third. The 49ers then brought in LHP Ryan Strufing to face the lefty Martin, and after fouling off a 2-2 pitch, Martin chopped a grounder to third to end the inning.

Riley doubled with one out in the ninth off Long Beach closer RHP Eddie Maggalon, but induced a groundout and delivered a strikeout to end the ball game and earn his sixth save.

For the second-straight game, Pacific had a player with a Big West leading 11-game hit streak come to an end as Johnston's run was halted with an 0-for-4 night at the plate. On Friday, senior DF/OF Matt Carvutto (Poway, Calif.) had his 11-game hit streak snapped. The Tiger duo remain tied with two other players for the longest streaks in the Big West this season.

Pointer took the loss for Pacific, as he allowed five runs on 10 hits, while posting seven strikeouts. Pacific RHP Chris Larsen (Moline, Ill.) struck out two in his three flawless innings of work. He allowed no hits, and while hitting a batter, faced the minimum as catcher Jason Taasaas (Elk Grove, Calif.) threw out a runner trying to steal.

Game three of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m., as the Tigers Jake Hummel (Peoria, Ariz.) opposes LBSU's Shawn Stuart. Hummel tossed a complete game shutout last Sunday against San Francisco, as he posted a career-high 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 Tigers victory, a performance which earned him Big West Pitcher of the Week honors. Hummel is 3-2 in six starts with a 2.25 ERA in 44.0 innings. Stuart, a junior RHP, is 2-2 on the season with a a 3.60 ERA in 30.0 innings. In his last start, he took a loss Sunday to Stanford, allowing four earned runs on nine hits in six innings.