March 3, 2006

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- A bad-hop single broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth and that run stood as No. 16 Long Beach State edged Baylor 4-3 at Blair Field in Friday night's series opener. Baylor (7-3) has now lost seven one-run decisions in 13 all-time meetings against Long Beach State (10-5), including five of seven meetings at Blair Field.

With two outs and runners at first and second in the fifth, Ryan LaMotta appeared to get out of the inning as he induced a chopper toward shortstop Beamer Weems off the bat of Brandon Godfrey. However, on the third bounce, the ball hit the lip on the front edge of the infield grass and hopped over Weems' head. That unfortunate hop allowed Matt Cline to score from second.

Baylor plated a pair of runs without the ball leaving the infield in the top of the first. Chase Gerdes led off with an infield single, and Beamer Weems followed with a walk. Later in the inning, Kevin Russo plated Gerdes on a groundout, and Weems then scored on a wild pitch.

Long Beach State was quick to answer, plating a run on two hits in the bottom of the first. The Dirtbags took a 3-2 lead with pair of runs on two hits, two Baylor throwing errors and a balk.

The Bears quickly tied things up in the top of the fourth, but they missed an opportunity to inflict more damage. After Russo led off with a double down the line in left, Fortenberry tripled off the wall in right-center. Matt Sodolak and Tim Jackson were then both hit by pitches, loading the bases with no outs. However, Long Beach State got out of the jam thanks to a double play and an inning-ending groundout.

Two at bats later, the Dirtbags took the lead and never relinquished it. Baylor put runners at the corners with one out in the top of the ninth but could not score to extend the game.

LaMotta allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks, one intentional, over 5.0 innings. It marked the first time in LaMotta's career that he pitched at least one inning in consecutive appearances without recording a strikeout in either outing.

Dirtbag starter Jared Hughes (4-0) earned the victory, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts over 7.0 innings. Donnie Hume worked through trouble in the ninth for his fourth save of the season.

Baylor and Long Beach State continue their three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m. CST. The Bears send southpaw Cory VanAllen (1-1, 4.50) to the mound, opposite Dirtbag right-hander Andrew Carpenter (2-0, 1.29).