Espinosa’s Hit Helps 49ers Sweep Trojans

If this keeps up, Danny Espinosa might start chalking up big comebacks as the Long Beach State way.

And if the freshman shortstop continues to contribute the way he did Sunday afternoon at Long Beach during the 49ers’ 8-6 come-from-behind victory over USC, Coach Mike Weathers might just want him to keep thinking along those lines.

Espinosa’s eighth-inning triple into the right-field corner drove in the go-ahead runs as Long Beach State completed its first three-game sweep of USC.

The 49ers, ranked No. 22 by Baseball America, rallied to win each game in their season-opening series against the No. 17 Trojans, who are 0-3 for the first time since Miami swept them to open the 1981 season. Long Beach State scored six runs with two out Sunday.

“I think early it’s not that big a deal as far as the sweep,” said Weathers, whose team had lost its four games last season against the Trojans, including one in an NCAA regional. “I think what’s really a big deal against that kind of team is the fact that we came back.”

For all its success, Long Beach State didn’t possess an illustrious history of comeback victories in recent years. So when USC took a five-run lead into the fifth inning Sunday, it appeared as if the Trojans were safely on their way to their first victory.

Not so fast.

The 49ers chipped away with a run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth before the Trojans responded with a run in the seventh on Hector Estrella’s bases-loaded suicide squeeze.

Trailing, 6-3, Long Beach State loaded the bases in the seventh inning on a walk, a single and a hit batter. Enter Trojan closer Paul Koss to face Sean Boatright, one day after Boatright had hit a go-ahead, two-run home run against the junior right-hander to lift the 49ers to an eventual 9-6 victory at USC.

Boatright again got the best of Koss (0-2), bringing in a run with a full-count walk to make it 6-4.

Pinch-hitter Brandon Godfrey sent Koss’ next pitch into center field for a two-run single to tie the score.

With two on and two out in the eighth inning, Espinosa drilled an inside fastball to right field to score both runners.

“We’ve got a nice little start now,” said Espinosa, who had three hits and would have had two more had he not been robbed on nice plays by left fielder Cyle Hankerd. “I knew they had swept us last year, so it’s real nice that we got them this year.”

Relievers Donnie Hume, Andrew Liebel (1-0) and Brett Andrade gave up only one run in 5 2/3 innings after starter Vance Worley had given up five runs in 3 1/3 innings in his college debut.