Report by LBSU
Long Beach State scored a season high 17 runs in a 17-8 win over UNLV Friday night. Joey Terdoslavich hit his second home run of the year and drove in a season-high four RBI while TJ Mittelstaedt tied a Long Beach State record with his 16th career triple.
Dirtbag batters had a big day all around, as Steve Tinoco tied the team’s season high with four hits, and Brennan Metzger had three hits for Long Beach State as the team set season highs in runs scored, hits and RBI. The Dirtbags had 17 runs on 19 hits with 13 RBI.
Long Beach State got started right away against UNLV starter Tanner Peters. Metzger started the game with a single, and Mittelstaedt reached on an error following his sacrifice bunt. Another single loaded the bases, and Terdoslavich drove home the first run of the game with a single. Jonathan Jones then drove in two more with the bases still loaded for a 3-0 lead.
UNLV answered back with three runs in the bottom of the second inning, utilizing four hits, but Long Beach State came right back with a big top of the third. The Dirtbags batted around for the first time of the day, starting with Devin Lohman who was hit by a pitch, and was one of two runners to score on a wild pitch in the inning. Long Beach State also had RBI from Jordan Casas, Kellen Hoime and Metzger in the inning, taking an 8-3 lead.
The Dirtbags added four more runs in the fifth inning with a big two-out rally. Derek Legg started the inning with a single, and after a pair of outs, Metzger walked and Mittelstaedt hit a triple, his third of the year and 16th of his career, tying him for the Dirtbag record with Don Anderson. Mittelstaedt would score on a wild pitch, and with two runners on, Steve Tinoco drove home another run.
Leading 12-3 in the seventh, Mittelstaedt drew a one-out walk, and after a single by Kirk Singer, who entered in the fifth for Lohman, Terdoslavich hammered the first pitch from reliever Thomas Whitsett over the wall in right center, his second home run of the season.
Long Beach State added two more runs on three hits, including an RBI single from Matt Duffy to close out the scoring for the Dirtbags. Tommy Nance allowed five runs in his only inning of work to close out the game.
Andrew Gagnon struck out six batters over six innings pitched to pick up his third win of the season. Peters took his first loss of the season, allowing eight runs over four innings on nine hits.
The Dirtbags return for game two against UNLV on Saturday at 2 p.m. Jake Thompson takes the mound for Long Beach State, and will face off against Rebels right-hander Stephen Singer.