IRVINE — Jake Thompson matched Christian Bergman pitch-for-pitch Friday night, but Long Beach State couldn’t hold on in the end.
The Dirtbags (14-16, 2-3 Big West Conference) dropped their fourth straight game, 6-3, at the hands of No. 5 UC Irvine in front of 764 fans at Anteater Ballpark.
Thompson (2-5) threw into the seventh inning, and allowed five runs on eight hits, but UCI starter Bergman (5-1) was that much better. He allowed just two earned runs in six innings, and left to a standing ovation from the crowd.
“[Thompson] was kind of sick, and it was questionable if he could even pitch,” head coach Mike Weathers said. “But I thought he did a good job. We could have quit and ran away, but we didn’t quit. Any game we play we’re gonna be in it.”
Weathers is proud of his team’s determination, but he feels like the Dirtbags are continuing do the same things wrong in certain situations.
“It’s kind of the same book, different chapter every night,” he said.
Center fielder Jonathan Jones was one of eight Dirtbags with a hit on the evening as he went 1-for-3.
“We’re hurting because we know we should have won today, and especially yesterday,” Jones said. “They’re not better than us, and that’s the most frustrating part about these losses. Today we were ready to go, and it just didn’t work out for us.”
The troubles started early for the Dirtbags as a leadoff base hit, hit batsman and walk left Thompson in a one-out, bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning.
UCI (21-9, 7-1 Big West) didn’t let the sophomore escape unscathed. Anteater catcher Francis Larson singled to left field, allowing Ben Orloff to score from third base. With the bases still loaded, Rylan Sandoval tagged third base on a DJ Crumlich groundball, allowing Eric Deragisch to score from third to give UCI the early 2-0 lead.
The Dirtbags were able to put a runner on base in the second inning as TJ Mittelstaedt led off with a line drive single. But, LBSU would come up empty the rest of the inning and Mittelstaedt would stay stranded at first base.
The LBSU defense helped Thompson get out of another jam, as the tandem of Devin Lohman and Derek Legg turned a double play to end the Anteater threat.
Left fielder Jordan Casas dropped a single in front of the UCI center fielder to bring around Tre Dennis to score from second base. Lohman then got the favor returned to him, as the Anteaters also turned a double play to get the shortstop out at first. The play ended the LBSU threat, but still managed to cut the deficit to 2-1 halfway through the third inning.
Both teams combined for three double plays on the evening.
The Dirtbags tried to kick start the offense in the fifth inning by putting on a hit-and-run play with Jones at the plate. LBSU wasn’t able to make the most of their scoring opportunity, though, as Casas grounded into a double play to end the inning.
UCI added another run in the bottom half of the fifth when designated hitter Ronnie Shaeffer laced a double down the left field line to score Tommy Reyes from third base. This gave the Anteaters a 3-1 lead.
Bergman then sat LBSU down in order in the sixth inning.
UCI put together its first two-run inning of the game in the sixth. Crumlich scored from second base on a Cory Olson double to center for the first run. Second baseman Casey Stevenson then drove in Olson with a long double of his own off the wall in left field to give UCI the 5-1 lead.
The Dirtbags answered back with a two-run inning of their own in the seventh. Legg scored on a double to center by John Hill, and a throwing error on the play put Hill at third base. Two batters later, Dennis laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Hill from third and cut the UCI lead to just two runs, 5-3.
Dustin Rasco came in to start the seventh inning, and he shut down the Anteaters by retiring the side in order, but LBSU was then retired in order in the top of the eighth.
UCI added another run in the bottom of the eighth on a single by Stevenson that scored Olson from second base.
LBSU will try to avoid the sweep on Saturday in the end of the three-game series with the Anteaters. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark.