Reports From LBSU

Jake Thompson was one out away from picking up a 2-1 win, but a 13-pitch at-bat led to a walk, and Kenny Diekroger hit a two-run home run to give Stanford the lead. Long Beach State forced the game into extra innings, but a Cardinal run in the top of the tenth gave Stanford a 4-3 win.

Thompson tied a career-high with eight strikeouts and allowed six hits over 8.2 innings, but was matched most of the way by Stanford’s Jordan Pries, who struck out nine over eight innings.

Both teams scored in the first inning, as the Cardinal had a pair of hits to start the game, and after an error on a potential double-play ball, Tyler Gaffney came around to score. The Dirtbags evened the game at 1-1 after a triple from Jordan Casas, who scored on a sacrifice fly by TJ Mittelsteadt.

That was all of the scoring until the sixth as both Pries and Thompson were in control. The Dirtbags took their first lead after Joey Terdoslavich picked up his third hit of the game, a one-out single in the sixth. Kirk Singer followed with a double to score Terdoslavich for the 2-1 lead.

That held until Diekroger’s home run, but a single and two walks loaded the bases for Long Beach State in the ninth inning. Pinch runner Matt Hibbert scored on an infield hit by TJ Mittelstaedt to tie the game, but a hard liner by Terdoslavich up the middle was knocked down by Stanford pitcher Scott Snodgress and bounced straight to second baseman Colin Walsh who picked up the final out of the inning. 

In the tenth, a two-out double by Eric Smith with a runner on put Stanford ahead 3-4, and Dean McArdle picked up the save in the tenth with a ground ball double play to end the game.

Long Beach State and Stanford close out the series tomorrow at 1pm.