Dirtbag starting pitcher Adam Wilk threw the ball so tirelessly on Friday night that after the game he looked like he was ready to pitch another.
The Long Beach State Dirtbags defeated the Cal State Northridge Matadors, 1-0, in front of 1,025 at Blair Field.
Wilk (5-1) got the win after throwing eight innings (109 pitches) of shutout ball, giving up just four hits while striking out six — five of the batters didn’t even swing.
“It felt good because I don’t have overpowering stuff, but to strike out guys looking, it’s pretty cool,” Wilk said.
Closer Charlie Ruiz came on in the ninth to record his eighth save of the season.
And even though the game had just ended, Wilk was looking toward the rest of the series.
“When that [striking out guys looking] happens we kind of know where their weaknesses are for the next games,” he said.
Juarez (4-3) had a solid game in his own right, throwing eight innings — equaling Wilk’s 109-pitch total — while allowing only one run on six hits. Also, he struck out five and walked four batters.
The Dirtbags (16-17, 3-4 Big West Conference) finally gave Juarez trouble in the eighth and got the first run of the game when Devin Lohman blooped a single to shallow left. This allowed Jordan Casas — who stole second — to score.
“It was really good to see [Lohman] get that hit,” head coach Mike Weathers said. “It wasn’t like it was a mighty blast, but he’s been in a really bad slump so he needed something.”
LBSU was fortunate to even be in the inning, let alone score a run, as Casas made it to first following a throwing error by Matador third baseman Justin DeMarco.
“In that game we needed a runner on second base,” Casas said about one of his two stolen bases on the night. “There were two outs and we’re one hit away from scoring if I’m on second, so I was just trying to take the [base] and it worked out.”
Lohman and Casas both went 1-for-4.
With just one out and the bases loaded in the third, CSUN (15-21, 3-7 Big West) had its best opportunity to score.
Right fielder Ryan Pineda stepped up to the plate looking to drive in a run. The Matador right fielder smashed a ball to deep left field, giving base runner DeMarco — who went 1-for-3 — an opportunity to tag up and score.
DeMarco, however, ran home without touching up at third and was eventually tagged out, ending the inning.
In the sixth inning, with two outs and Casas on third, LBSU had a chance to get the first run of the game. They were unable to capitalize, though, as Lohman flied out to center field.
LBSU had two runners on — Jonathan Jones and Casas — but Jones was thrown out at third on a double-steal attempt.
The Dirtbags had an interesting opportunity to score in the fifth when Juarez posted two consecutive balks allowing Hill to advance to third.
But the CSUN right-hander regained composure and got Taylor Krick to fly out to right.
“We had opportunities and with the way [Wilk] pitched, the game would’ve been over [sooner],” Weathers said.
The series resumes tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Blair Field.
Before the game, a special ceremony is scheduled to commemorate the Dirtbag team from 1989 — the first year the team officially became known as the Dirtbags. Former coaches and players from that team will be in attendance.
