With the Southern California sunshine registering temperatures near the 80's the Dirtbags started some spring cleaning early. They brought their brooms and the Wichita State Shockers got swept right back to the cold Midwest.The 7th ranked Wichita State team, the second top 10 squad to come to Long Beach in as many weeks, fared even worse than the Rice Owls. Behind great pitching and timely offense the Beach took all three games.
Behind weekend one's hero Danny Espinosa's four hits and Shane Peterson's three, including the walk-off double in the 12th, to bring home a 3-2 victory in Friday's series opener.
Andrew Liebel repeated his sparkling work on the mound with seven-and-a-third innings of four hit ball, giving up just an unearned run and striking out 11 for the second straight week.
Unfortunately, the Dirtbag relievers couldnt hold the 2-0 lead and Liebel remains winless despite back-to-back tremendous outings.
In Saturday's matinée the Dirtbags posted a five-spot in the sixth to erase a 4-2 deficit and never looked back winning 8-5. Vance Worley got the W on the mound for The Beach scattering four earned runs and 12 hits over 7+ innings.
The Jason's keyed the sixth inning rally. Jason Tweedy got two RBI's with a bases loaded knock and Jason Corder, in his first at-bat of the '08 campaign, doubled home two more to break a 4-4 tie.
Sunday's affair solidified the Dirtbag's dominance of the series. Behind another great performance from the starter - seven innings and just two runs - this time by Jake Thompson (1-1), Long Beach defeated Wichita State 8-3.
Dusty Coleman's second two-run jack in as many games gave the Shockers a 2-0 lead in the first but Shane Peterson tied it in the home half with a two-run double, his first of two on the day, en route to a five RBI effort.
Thompson struck out eight and walked none, not only getting the win, but providing The Beach with a promising Sunday starter who could bring home the series victory come tough rubber matches as the season wears on.
The seventh and final game of the opening homestand will be Tuesday night (6:30) at Blair Field against the Lions of Loyola Marymount (3-5). This weekend the Dirtbags say Aloha to the mainland and hello to the University of Hawaii Rainbows as they travel to Honolulu for a weekend set.
After taking two-of-three from Rice last weekend the Dirtbags rose to #10 in the polls. The sweep of Wichita State should negate the 5-3 defeat to San Diego last Tuesday. The Dirtbags are 5-2.
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