By IRVINE, Calif. – After a lackluster beginning to the 2025 season for Long Beach State (6-9), The Dirtbags breathed new life with the start of Big West play on Friday night at Cicerone Field against the No. 18 UC Irvine Anteaters (11-4).
Long Beach State however lost the series 2-1 to the Anteaters with 8-6 and 10-1 losses on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in a 1-2 conference record.
The Dirtbag bats came alive for a season-high 14 hits, which translated into 10 runs in their rival’s home park.
Last season, LBSU was swept and outscored 36-6 in a three-game series at Blair Field against the Anteaters. Friday night, they surpassed that run total in two innings to jump out in front 8-1.
Three opposite-field singles from the core senior returners, right fielder Kyle Ashworth, center fielder Alex Champagne and first baseman Connor Charpiot set the table for the heart of the order to do damage offensively.
Junior third baseman Dylan Lina followed with a drive to left field that was misjudged by the left fielder and sailed over his head for a two-run double to get the scoring fest underway.
Charpiot later came in to score on a wild pitch to put the Dirtbags in front 3-0.
With the bases loaded again in the top of the second, Champagne worked a walk to bring home a run, ending UCI’s redshirt junior starting pitcher Danny Suarez’s night after just 1.1 innings pitched, allowing five hits, seven earned runs and three walks.
“Anytime you can get into the bullpen on a Friday night, that’s a huge deal,” Dirtbag head coach TJ Bruce said. “What we do know is that’s a really great team over there, we’ve got to come back tomorrow, though; we’ve seen part of this movie before.”
Once again, Charpiot came through with another single to plate two runners and expand the lead to 6-1.
Freshman left fielder Matt Toomey followed with a base hit to drive in a run. For the second time in as many innings, Charpiot scored via a wild pitch, making it 8-1.
“I’m not usually considered a fast guy, but every time I get to show it off, you know it’s good,” Charpiot said. “I tell the guys in there, I’m one of the sleeper fastest guys on the team, they don’t believe for some reason, it’s always fun getting to come in and see the guys fired up for you.”
Even with the seven-run advantage, the lead was far from safe against a dangerous Anteater offense that entered Friday’s game 23rd in the nation in runs scored per game (9.4).
In the bottom of the third, UCI’s junior designated hitter Anthony Martinez plated his third run of the game with a two-run single to cut the deficit to five. Martinez finished the game hitting 3-5 with three RBI and a run.
Charpiot added his 14th RBI of the season in the fifth with a shallow hit into left, where the left fielder tripped and fell, allowing a ninth run to come home and score, a part of a disastrous beginning for the Anteaters.
LBSU’s junior starting pitcher Kellan Montgomery improved to 4-0 with Friday’s win.
Montgomery kept things under control throughout the first five innings, but things got rough for the right-hander in the sixth inning when UCI started with three consecutive singles to make it 9-4.
The next batter was hit with a pitch before a two-run single narrowly went past the outstretched glove of Lina down the third base line by third baseman Zach Fjelstad.
Another RBI single ended Montgomery’s night and sophomore pitcher Tyler Gebb was called upon in relief.
After a walk loaded the bases, Gebb faced the hottest hitter in the Anteater lineup in Martinez. An eight-pitch battle concluded with a strikeout to end the inning.
Gebb left the mound pouring out all the emotions as he and his teammates were fired up from keeping the lead intact.
“Gebb’s been our leverage guy out of the bullpen for the first four weeks, he’s prepared for that and mentally strong,” Bruce said. “I thought what I was most proud of Gebb is that he stayed lock-in pitch to pitch, and that’s a huge deal.”
Each team added a run to make it 10-8, and senior relief pitcher Albert Roblez picked up the three-inning save, allowing just one run and three hits while striking out three.
Long Beach State will face the Pepperdine Waves at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on March 11 at 6 p.m.
