• Score: Long Beach State 2, Holy Cross 1
• Records: LB (2-0); HC (0-2)
• Location: Long Beach, Calif.
• The Lead: Holy Cross junior starting pitcher Ben White (Holden, Mass.) allowed only two runs (one earned) in 5.1 innings of work with four punchouts, but the Crusaders were clipped by Long Beach State, 2-1, in non-conference baseball action on Saturday afternoon at Blair Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• White shutout Long Beach State over the first five innings, as he surrendered only three hits, but the Dirtbags were able to break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth.
• Brock Lundquist plated Garrett Hampson with an RBI-single to right field to give the Dirtbags the 1-0 lead. Long Beach State added another run later in the frame to gain a 2-0 lead after six full innings.
• Holy Cross sliced into the deficit in the top of the eighth inning, as sophomore Dan Vucovich (Lititz, Pa.) drove in junior Bill Schlich (Massapequa, N.Y.) on an RBI-double with zero outs to make the score 2-1. The Crusaders, however, were unable to bring home Vucovich, as they went down in order end the top half of the eighth.
• Holy Cross had a chance to tie the game in the ninth inning, as junior Anthony Critelli (Holmdel, N.J.) led off the frame with a single up the middle. A sacrifice bunt pushed freshman pinch runner Travis Cloney (Wall, N.J.) over the second base, but a ground out and fly out ended the scoring chance for Holy Cross in the top of the ninth.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Long Beach State starting pitcher Tanner Brown picked up the win (1-0), as he tossed seven-plus innings and allowed one run on three hits, while striking out six.
• White (0-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, while fanning four and walking only one batter.
• The Crusader bullpen of junior Justin Finan (Barrington, R.I.) and senior Sean Gustin (Stoneham, Mass.) combined to throw 2.2 innings of shutout ball, as each pitcher allowed one hit.
• The Dirtbags held a 7-5 edge in total hits, but Holy Cross had the only extra-base hit of the contest – Vucovich's double.
• Critelli was the only Crusader with multiple hits, as he batted 2-for-4 in the contest.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross and Long Beach State will play the final game of their three-game series on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 4:00 p.m. (ET).

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