March 15, 2009

Box Score

Box Score and Play-by-Play

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Rylan Sandoval's run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth inning provided Long Beach State a 6-5 win over Washington State in nonconference baseball at Blair Field, Sunday.

The victory enabled the 49ers (5-9) to avoid a sweep in the three-game series after the Cougars (5-9) won the first two games.

"We had a golden opportunity and let it get away from us," WSU Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. "Give credit to Long Beach State, but we had a chance to sweep a fine club on the road and did not get it done."

With the score tied 5-5, T.J. Mittelstaedt tripled to lead off the 49ers' eighth against Cougar junior reliever Michael Ratigan (0-1). One out later, Sandoval delivered the game-winner.

WSU jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by freshman Derek Jones and a two-out, two-run single by senior Alex Burg.

In the third, junior Michael Weber's sacrifice fly put the Cougars on top 4-0 before the 49ers answered with three runs in their half of the third. Mittelstaedt had the big hit with a two-run double.

In the sixth, freshman Patrick Claussen increased the WSU lead to 5-3 with a sacrifice fly. Long Beach State tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth off Cougar redshirt-freshman reliever David Stilley when Sandoval scored on a throwing error and Devin Lohman doubled home a run.

The Cougars moved a runner into scoring position in each of the last three innings, but were unable to push across the go-ahead run and ended the game with 13 runners left on base.

WSU continues its five-game road trip with a two-game series at Pepperdine, beginning Tuesday at 3 p.m.

WSU NOTES
Redshirt-sophomore Chad Arnold started on the mound and tied his career high with seven strikeouts...senior Alex Burg's single in the first extended his career-long hitting streak to eight games.