NCAA Baseball Regionals : Long Beach Returns to Playoffs and Wins

The only other time Cal State Long Beach appeared in postseason baseball play was 1970, and the 49ers were quickly eliminated after losing two games. Long Beach made its second playoff appearance Friday in the West I Regional at Tucson, and this time the 49ers won, routing Hawaii, 14-7.

Todd Guggiana drove in four runs, including three on sacrifice flies, and Perry Sanchez had three RBIs to pace the 49ers (47-13).

Hawaii (40-26) scored five runs off the first two Long Beach pitchers, so Coach Dave Snow brought in Andrew Croghan. The right-hander limited the Rainbows to three hits over the next 4 1/3 innings to improve to 11-0.

Oklahoma 5, Loyola Marymount 2--The Sooners entered the West I Regional having lost six consecutive postseason games. And for the better part of their opener against Loyola Marymount, it appeared that the streak would reach seven.

Loyola led, 2-0, going into the bottom of the eighth inning. The Lions scored in the fifth on a single by Kevin Van De Brake and in the sixth on a double by Miah Bradbury. Oklahoma, meanwhile, had been held to four hits by Steve Surico and Darryl Scott.

Oklahoma (44-17) then capitalized on some sloppy fielding by Loyola (37-23). The Lions committed three errors in the bottom of the eighth to help the Sooners score five runs.

Western Michigan 9, USC 8--The Broncos broke the game open with six runs in the fifth inning, then held off a ninth-inning rally by the Trojans in the Midwest Regional at Austin, Tex.

Dale Hongisto’s bases-clearing double keyed Western Michigan’s big sixth inning. Matt Mieske and Damon Saetre homered in the ninth to give the Broncos (39-13) a 9-5 lead.

USC (41-24) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth after Jeff Braley walked the first two batters he faced.

Michigan 4, Pepperdine 3--Ace reliever John Locker stopped a ninth-inning rally by striking out two, preserving Michigan’s victory in the West II Regional at Fresno.