First (and second) career home runs for one player. A couple of Friday aces facing off get knocked around while another duo throw up zero after zero. One pitcher throws 16 strikeouts and 140 pitches.
All that plus a roundup of Friday’s Southern California college baseball action with photo galleries from UC Riverside and Loyola Marymount:
San Diego State 5, Air Force 1
Bubba Derby threw 140 pitches in a three-hit complete game. He amassed 16 strikeouts and yet still fell seven strikeouts shy of tying the school record held by Stephen Strasburg. Seby Zavala homered and drove in three runs while Ty France reached base four times (3-for-3, R, RBI, BB).
***EDITOR’S NOTE: San Diego State’s final box score was incorrect on Friday, but has since been corrected. Michael Cederoth entered with one out in the ninth inning and collected the final two outs, including one strikeout. Therefore, Derby’s final numbers were 130 pitches and 15 K in 8.1 innings.
San Diego 6, Gonzaga 5
Ben Wylly had never hit a collegiate home run. He did that on Friday night — twice. San Diego scored four runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Wylly’s two-run shot to push the Toreros ahead, but Gonzaga (10-19, 6-4) tied the game in the eighth inning on sacrifice fly.
Wylly was having none of that as he knocked his second homer of the game to put the Toreros (20-9, 7-3) back ahead 6-5. Josh Goossen-Brown closed it out in the ninth inning for the save. Connor Joe and Jesse Jenner both had three hits.
UC Riverside 4, Cal State Northridge 2
The Highlanders scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning to take the series opener with Northridge. The go-ahead run came when Drake Zarate squeeze bunted David Andriese home. Jacob Smigelski allowed two runs in eight innings to improve to 4-3.
Check out CBD photographer David Cohen’s top photos from the game :
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#17 UCLA 1, Long Beach State 0 (11 innings)
Whether it was remarkable pitcher’s duel or inept hitting, UCLA (17-10) and Long Beach State battled to a 1-0 game in 11 innings. The Bruins scored the game’s only run without getting a hit in the 11th inning. Freshman Kort Peterson was plunked by a two-strike pitch, stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Both starting pitchers took no decisions despite a combined 17 innings pitched and only eight hits allowed. James Kaprielian went nine innings, striking out three while Long Beach’s Andrew Rohrbach allowed five hits in eight innings.
The Dirtbags got a pair of hits in the bottom of the 11th inning off UCLA closer David Berg, but he was able to slam the door shut.
Pepperdine 6, St. Mary’s 2
Hutton Moyer took over the national lead in doubles, knocking three two-baggers to help lead the Waves (22-7, 8-2) to a 6-2 win to open a road series in Moraga. Moyer scored a run and drove in two more.
Austin Davidson also hit a two-run homer to help Corey Miller earn his sixth win of the season: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 5 K. Connor Hornsby led St. Mary’s (13-15, 5-2) with three hits.
#23 UC Santa Barbara 8, #6 Cal Poly 6
With Matt Imhof and Austin Pettibone on the mound, a low-scoring affair was expected, but both ace pitchers were hit hard. Imhof departed after allowing seven runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings while Pettibone didn’t make it through the fifth inning, allowing six runs in 4.1 innings.
But the Gauchos (20-5, 2-2) rode 4.2 scoreless innings of relief from Greg Mahle and Dillon Tate to take the opener in a huge Big West series. Joey Epperson was 2-for-5 with two doubles, three runs two RBI and a stolen base while Robby Nesovic and Tyler Kuresa both homered. Chris Hoo homered for Cal Poly (24-5, 3-1) and finished with three hits and four RBI.
San Francisco 6, Loyola Marymount 4
Austin Miller scored three runs; David Fletcher had four hits; and Tommy Cheek was a perfect 5-for-5 with three RBI. But LMU (17-13, 7-3) still lost to San Francisco (14-14, 4-6).
Colin Welmon wasn’t great in his seven innings of work, walking four batters — one more than he had walked in 50.1 innings coming into the game, but he should have picked up a win. Instead, the Lions defense allowed the tying run to score in the sixth inning and the Dons got to LMU’s bullpen as soon as Welmon departed.
Three straight hits, highlighted by Derek Atkinson’s RBI single up the middle, put the Dons ahead 4-3, but an errant throw on a potential inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, allowed San Francisco to push the lead to 6-3.
San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano talks about the Dons’ win and how important this series is for the team:
In the ninth inning, Miller, Fletcher and Cheek all reached with Miller scoring to trim the lead to 6-4, but the middle of the lineup couldn’t clutch up. Tanner Donnels struck out and David Edwards hit into a game-ending double play.
Cheek talks about the disappointing loss:
Atkinson finished with three hits and two RBI while Brendan Hendriks also drove in a pair for the Dons. LMU held potential top 10 draft choice Bradley Zimmer to a bloop single and a walk and hosed him, using a pitch out, when he tried to swipe second base.
Check out CBD photographer Shotgun Spratling’s top photos from the game :
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Arizona State 5, USC 3
USC (14-14, 3-7) scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game 3-3, but the bullpen turned around and gave up a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning — all coming with two outs.
AJ Ramirez reached base four times and Jake Hernandez was 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Trojans. Nathaniel Causey reached four times and had the game-winning RBI for the Sun Devils (15-11, 6-4) while Drew Stankiewicz had two hits and two RBI. Ryan Burr picked up the win with 1.2 hitless innings.
UC Davis 3, #16 Cal State Fullerton 1
For the first time since 2008, UC Davis (14-12, 1-3) is able to claim a victory over the Titans. Fullerton (14-11, 0-1) held a 1-0 lead going into the eighth inning when its defense let it down once again.
An ill-advised dive attempt in the outfield led to a leadoff triple that eventually became the tying run and a failed PFP, pitcher covering first on a chopper to first led to the go-ahead and insurance runs scoring when the inning should have been over.
Thomas Eshelman pitched well, but took the loss: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 7 K. Steven Patterson was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the win.
UC Irvine 7, Hawai’i 1
Andrew Morales lowered his ERA to 0.45 with 7.1 scoreless innings to improve his record to 6-0 this season. Krus Paulino homered and drove in two while Jerry McClanahan also knocked home a pair.
