LONG BEACH, Calif. — It might not have been the way Long Beach State planned it, but after a run of close, heartbreaking losses earlier in the year, the Dirtbags won’t complain about Saturday night’s 5-4 extra inning walk-off walk against Loyola Marymount.
The Dirtbags scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth, including the game-tying run after Johnny Bekakis was down to his final strike with two outs, and got the game-winner when Jeff Yamaguchi watched ball four sail wild.
After the game, we talked with outfielders Brennan Metzger and Bekakis as well as Long Beach State head coach Troy Buckley.
Bekakis discussed his ninth inning at bat and how the team continued to try to “pass the baton” to the next batter in the final two innings when LMU’s pitching allowed six base on balls and a hit by pitch. He also went through how the Dirtbags are thinking about their postseason hopes:
Metzger had a two-RBI single through the middle that tied the game 2-2 in the sixth inning. As the team’s RBI leader, Metzger talks about the hit and about being intentionally walked in the 10th inning.
Buckley described how the team had better at bats in the final two innings. He also discusses the decision to leave starting pitcher Matt Anderson in to start the seventh inning (Anderson allowed two runs to give LMU a 4-2 lead):
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