Long Beach outlasts Anteaters, 9-4

ANTEATER BALLPARK -- This time, UC Irvine wasn’t able to sneak up on

Long Beach State. The Anteaters’ baseball team, which swept the 49ers

last year, lost, 9-4, to Long Beach State, ranked No. 10 by Baseball

America, Friday night in Big West Conference action at Anteater

Ballpark.

UC Irvine’s bid to upset the “Dirtbags” fell five runs short, as

Long Beach scored five in the top of the ninth to pull away from a

4-2 lead. The Anteaters (14-21, 2-2 in the Big West) received a

two-run triple from Greg Wallis, but that was all UCI could muster.

Abe Alvarez, Long Beach State’s ace, went eight innings,

scattering six hits while allowing two runs. He collected his seventh

win in as many decisions, while UCI sophomore Glenn Swanson dropped

to 1-6 on the season. Swanson allowed six hits and four runs (two

unearned) in six inning of work that also included four strikeouts.

Senior center fielder Jon Horwitz led the Anteaters with a 2-for-4

performance at the plate. The Dirtbags’ center fielder Steve Velazco

went 3 for 4 to lead Long Beach State, which never trailed after its

two-run first inning.

The second game of the three-game series starts tonight at 6, as

sophomore Brett Smith will take the mound for UCI and Jared Weaver

will be on the hill for Long Beach State.

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Big West Conference

Long Beach State 9, UC Irvine 4

Score by Innings

Long Beach 200 010 105 -- 9 12 1

UC Irvine 100 001 002 -- 4 8 3

Alvarez, Anderson (9) and Jennings;

Swanson, Koehler (7), Raulinaitis (8),

Alstot (8), Tripoli (9), Schroer (9) and

Wagner. W -- Alvarez, 7-0. L -- Swanson,

1-6. 2B -- Jennings (LB), Hanson (LB),

Horwitz (UCI). 3B -- Hofius (LB), Wallis

(UCI), Dudrey (UCI)

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