Long Beach State Defeats Arizona, 11-4

TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona baseball team suffered its fifth-consecutive loss as Long Beach State captured an 11-4 victory Wednesday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field.

The Dirtbags jumped out to an early lead and cruised in the late innings, scoring their 11 runs on 11 hits and benefitting from nine walks issued by Wildcat pitchers.

Johnny Bekakis tallied three hits and scored a pair of runs, including in the first inning when the Dirtbags scratched across a pair of runs against Arizona starter Tyler Crawford. Ino Patron’s two-out triple also scored Garrett Hampson, who had two runs and a pair of hit on the afternoon.

Long Beach State (6-6) added a third run against Crawford in the second inning when Alex DeGati led off with a double, was bunted to second and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Crawford (L, 1-2) suffered the loss after lasting 3.1 innings in which he allowed six hits, walked one and struck out one.

Arizona (6-7) mustered just four hits against Dirtbags starter Cody Marshall over his six innings of work. The two runs came on Zach Gibbons’ single in the bottom of the fifth, which drove in Cody Ramer and Tyler Krause.

Marshall earned the victory for his solid outing. The righty struck out just one and walked three, but kept the Wildcats off balance much of the day.

The Wildcats’ bullpen struggled to find the strike zone much of the day. Tyger Talley walked four and allowed three runs over 1.2 innings. Xavier Borde walked two and surrendered three runs as well, while Austin Schnabel gave up two runs and walked on in 0.1 innings. Morgan Earman and Evan Hebert each tossed 0.2 scoreless innings.

After Arizona cut into the deficit with the two-run fifth, Long Beach State answered with a run in the sixth, two in the eighth and two more in the ninth to take a commanding 11-2 lead.

The Wildcats scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on Scott Kingery’s sacrifice fly and Gibbons’ run-scoring double.

Arizona plays four games this weekend as it hosts the Hi Corbett Classic, which features No. 10 Mississippi State and UC Santa Barbara. Action begins Friday after noon at 2 p.m. when the Bulldogs take on the Gauchos. The Wildcats then play Mississippi State at 7 p.m. that evening.