49ers top Texas to force decisive game Monday night

LONG BEACH >> Long Beach State baseball kept its season alive with two wins in the NCAA Regional on Sunday at Blair Field. The 49ers (40-18-1) had five two-out RBI Sunday  while getting unexpected and imperative pitching performances from John Sheaks and Tyler Radcliffe.
LBSU opened the day with a 7-4 win over San Diego State in an elimination game, and then held on to beat Texas, 4-3, in the nightcap. Second baseman Jarren Duran had four hits, four RBI and two runs in two games. LBSU will face Texas again tonight at 8 in an elimination game. The winner will face Cal State Fullerton in the Super Regional this weekend.
Radcliffe, a Long Beach Wilson High alum, is returning from injury and made his first start of the season. The right-handed sophomore pitched five innings against Texas (39-23) and gave up five hits and two runs. He started the game by striking out six of the first 10 batters he faced, and Texas didn’t get a hit until the fourth inning.
LBSU took the lead in the second inning when the 49ers loaded the bases with two hits and a hit by pitch. After reaching on a fielder’s choice with one out, designated hitter Luke Rasmussen came around to score on shortstop Laine Huffman’s ground ball. LBSU has outscored its opponents 91-35 in the first two innings this season.
Huffman led off the fifth inning with a single off the mound, and after a sacrifice bunt and fielder’s choice, third baseman Ramsey Romano made the score 2-0 with a two-out RBI to left field.
Texas tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, but a great defensive play from LBSU catcher David Banuelos ended the rally. With two on and one out, Texas catcher Michael Cantu singled off of Huffman’s glove to cut the lead in half. After a bunt single loaded the bases, Zane Gurwitz singled to left field to tie the game. Cantu was sent home, and it looked like the relay throw from Lucas Tancas and Huffman was late. However, Banuelos blocked the plate with his foot and tagged Cantu after he slid past the plate.
The 49ers retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Rasmussen led off with a single and came around to score on  Jarren  Duran’s two-out RBI single to center field on the first pitch he saw.
Zak Baayoun came out of the bullpen in the sixth for the third time in three games, but Texas tied the game 3-3  on Bret Boswell’s RBI ground out.
Duran gave the 49ers the lead again in the eighth inning when he plated Garrett Nelson with his second two-out RBI single off of Texas reliever Blair Henley. Longhorns starter Kyle Johnston gave up six hits, four walks and three runs in seven innings. The junior struck out four.
LBSU freshman Connor Riley pitched a scoreless eighth inning thanks to a double play turned by Huffman and Duran. Senior Josh Advocate pitched around a two-out walk in the ninth to record the save.
The 49ers eliminated SDSU (42-21) in the afternoon thanks to opportunistic offense and a strong start from Sheaks. The junior saved the LBSU bullpen with six innings while the 49ers scored six of their runs with the help of SDSU miscues.
The top of the LBSU order produced all game long.  Duran had a pair of RBI, first baseman Daniel Jackson had three hits, and left fielder Lucas Tancas had two hits, an RBI and a run. SDSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a home run from shortstop Danny Sheehan, but LBSU scored twice in the second and third innings and didn’t lose the lead. The 49ers had 13 hits.
Sheaks pitched into the seventh inning and gave up eight hits and four runs with five strikeouts. It was his first win in five starts, and only the fourth time he’s pitched into the seventh.
“With his last four or five outings being a challenge, I thought Sheaks was huge for us today,” LBSU coach Troy Buckley said. “It wasn’t pretty, but no one cares at this time of year.”
Sheaks retired 10 straight after giving up the home run. He only needed 59 pitches to get through five innings.
“It’s been a mental adjustment,” Sheaks said. “I needed to let go, focus, get the ball down and give us a chance to win.”
SDSU committed three errors, and trailed 5-2 in the seventh when three hits scored two runs and chased Sheaks.  Baayoun and Eli Villalobos came out of the bullpen to protect the lead, and they got some help from  Banuelos, who ended the threat in the seventh by throwing out a runner at third after a strikeout. LBSU, the designated visitor, added two insurance runs in the ninth inning.