With Reports From Long Beach State Sports Information Dept.

Long Beach State scored early and often, putting at least one run across in six innings, while junior lefty Adam Wilk pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two hits on 73 pitches as the Dirtbags defeated Loyola Maryount 9-6 on Wednesday.

TJ Mittelstaedt was 3-for-3 for the Dirtbags and Jonathan Jones drove in three runs with two doubles, as Long Beach State improved to 2-2 on the year.

The Dirtbags moved out to an 8-0 lead over Loyola Marymount, jumping on the home team early while holding them off on a great start from Wilk, who pitched in relief last season, and in his first collegiate start, pitched seven innings, striking out three and giving up just one run on two hits, while using only 73 pitches.

Things got started for the Beach in the second inning, as the Dirtbags loaded the bases against Jason Wheeler, and then a Steve Tinoco grounder brought in the first run of the inning. After a Rylan Sandoval walk to put runners on the corners, a passed ball moved the third baseman over and then Jonathan Jones ripped a two-run double off of the “Blue Monster” at Page Field to put Long Beach State ahead 3-0.

Long Beach State manufactured two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings, and then broke the game open in the sixth. Sandoval started the inning with a double, and Jonathan Jones walked to put two runners on for Jordan Casas, who singled to center to bring home Sandoval. An error by Angelo Songco allowed Casas and Jones to move into scoring position, and two consecutive ground balls brought in two more runs as Long Beach State took an 8-0 lead.

LMU would mount a comeback however, as Songco hit a solo home run off of Wilk in the seventh, and then created a big inning in the eighth, as Wilk gave way to the Long Beach State bullpen. Mark Lincoln and Josh Corrales both struggled to start the inning, walking the bases loaded and bringing home a run without a hit. A Kyle Sparker double then brought in two more with no outs. David Born became the third reliever in the inning, and picked up two key outs, and Charlie Ruiz came in to close out the inning.

The Dirtbags would add an insurance run in the top of the ninth, and Ruiz would close out a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of the year.

Long Beach State returns home this weekend for a three-game series with Cal at Blair Field. The series starts on Friday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30pm.