SAN DIEGO – It was a nail-biter in the end, but once again, the Dirtbags prevailed. They extended their win streak to nine games – the longest streak in six years – after taking their second game of the season from San Diego State, at Tony Gwynn Stadium, on Tuesday night, 6-3.
Long Beach State starter Omar Arif took the mound – and the win – after being rested during the Cal Poly series last weekend. Arif had a great outing, going five innings and giving up only four hits, no earned runs and striking out two.
Setup man David Roberts came on in relief for Arif in the bottom of the sixth and retired three of four batters he faced.
Chris Nelson sparked a three-run rally in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer to left field, his first of the season, to give the Dirtbags a 3-0 lead over the Aztecs in the top of the fourth.
In the seventh, Danny Espinosa slugged an RBI triple, pushing the lead to 4-0. Taylor Krick then hit a two RBI double, his second double of the night, giving the Dirtbags a 6-0 lead.
But just as it looked like the Dirtbags would shut out the Aztecs for the second time this season, reliever Dustin Rasco gave up a three-run homer to cleanup hitter Frank LoNigro in the eighth, cutting the Dirtbags’ lead in half.
Closer Bryan Shaw recorded the save when he pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Shaw’s clutch performance gave the Dirtbags their ninth win in a row and the Aztecs their ninth loss in a row.
The next stop for the Dirtbags will be Santa Barbara for a three-game Big West Conference series this weekend against UC Santa Barbara.
The Gauchos took two of three from the Dirtbags’ last season, and since 2000 have gone 15-6 against them. Currently, UCSB sits only two games behind Long Beach State in the Big West.
The series will be the battle of the power-hitting first basemen. After going 2-for-4 on Tuesday night against the Aztecs, first baseman and pitcher Shane Peterson is currently riding a 21-game hit streak – only two games away from matching the season conference record of 23, held by UCSB first baseman Robbie Blauer.
Peterson is batting .329 with 31 RBIs and three homeruns, not far from Blauer’s .389 average, which is second in the Big West.
RHP Andrew Liebel (7-2, 2.47 ERA) will get his third career start for the Dirtbags on the mound this weekend. RHP Manny McElroy (4-1, 3.79 ERA) will start the weekend off on Friday night, Liebel will throw Saturday and Sunday’s starter is yet to be determined.
