University Southern California Trojans
Long Beach State Wins Baseball Finale, 9-8
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
February 21, 1999
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The comeback by the No. 7 Long Beach State baseball team was a little better than the comeback staged by No. 6 USC, and the 49ers held off the Trojans, 9-8, on Sunday afternoon at Blair Field.
USC fell to 4-8 on the season, and has a 1-5 record in one-run games.
Long Beach State improved to 5-4 in front of a crowd of 2,668, the second-largest in 49er history.
The Trojans led, 5-3, after six innings, but the 49ers struck for two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to grab a 9-5 lead. USC scored three runs in the top of the ninth and had the tying run on third base before the final out was made.
With one out in the ninth, pinch-hitters Beau Craig and Brandon Mugavero both walked. Senior RF Greg Hanoian lined an RBI single, and junior C Eric Munson hit a sacrifice fly to score the second run. Senior LF Jason Lane followed with an RBI single that brought the Trojans within one run and moved Hanoian to third base.
Senior 2B Dominic Correa then smoked a line drive, but right at the 49er second baseman to end the game.
Five Trojan pitchers saw action in the seventh and eighth innings as Long Beach State took the lead, and sophomore RHP Shaun Kramer (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Lane went 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Trojans, and junior 1B Carlos Casillas added two hits.
USC visits Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday (Feb. 24) at 7 p.m., then hosts Stanford for three non-conference games next weekend.
USC 003-110-003 --- 8-10-1
LBSU 003-000-24x --- 9-12-1
Lehr, Flores (7), Kramer (7), Todd (8), Petke (8) and Munson.
Berni, Merrill (8), Leuenberger (9) and Grzecka, Kennedy (8).
HR -- LBSU: Leal (6).
