May 8, 2007
SAN DIEGO - Nine-game streaks were the order of the evening as Long Beach State claimed a 6-3 decision over San Diego State Tuesday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The win improved the 16th-ranked 49ers current win streak to nine games as they moved their record to 31-14 on the season. SDSU, meanwhile, lost for the ninth straight time as it fell to 27-26.
Aztec sophomore Charles Nolte (0-3) made his third start of the season and for the third time received little in the way of run support from his teammates. Over his three starting assignments the past three Tuesdays, San Diego State has scored a total of just four runs as it dropped all three contests.
Long Beach State took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the second inning and added a pair in the next frame on a two-run homer by center fielder Chris Nelson, his first of the season. Nolte departed at the end of that inning, having allowed three runs (two earned) with four strikeouts over four innings of work.
After SDSU hurler Shane Kaufman retired the six hitters he faced in the fifth and sixth, the 49ers got to relievers Nate Solow and Mike Koons for three runs in the seventh to make it a 6-0 contest. The big blow in the inning was a two-out two-run double off the bat of third baseman Taylor Krick.
San Diego State scored all of its runs in the bottom of the eighth courtesy of a three-run homer by Frank LoNigro. It was his team-leading seventh round tripper of the year and scored Pat Colwell and Joe Spiers who had walked and singled respectively.
Long Beach State utilized a total of seven pitchers over the nine innings with starter Omar Arif getting credit for the win to improve to 4-5. Arif went five innings, scattering four hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
After the Aztecs pulled to within three runs on LoNigro's homer, the 49ers' brought on closer Bryan Shaw to start the ninth. After allowing the first two runners to reach base, Shaw got a double play and strikeout to nail down the victory and notch his ninth save.
Joe Spiers and Garett Green had two hits apiece for the Aztecs to account for four of the team's seven hits.
San Diego State will wrap up its regular season with a three-game Mountain West Conference series against Brigham Young beginning Thursday (May 10) at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.