COLLEGE WORLD SERIES : CS Long Beach Loses to Wichita State, 8-5

Cal State Long Beach came back twice against Wichita State, but a third deficit proved one too many Saturday night.

The sixth-seeded 49ers squandered several opportunities and fell, 8-5, to the third-seeded Shockers in an opening-round game at the College World Series.

The teams began play an hour late, after rains drenched Rosenblatt Stadium and tornadoes were sighted in the distance.

“The best thing for us was there weren’t any rain delays once the game started,” 49er Coach Dave Snow said. “We didn’t have to suffer through that. We did have to suffer through a real beating at the hands of Wichita State.”

Long Beach had several chances against Wichita State All-American right-hander Kennie Steenstra, a control specialist who walked a career-high five. But the 49ers couldn’t quite cash in as Steenstra improved to 16-0 and tied for the Division I lead in victories.

Long Beach left the bases loaded in the first, then gave Wichita State two unearned runs in the bottom half. In the second, the 49ers turned three hits and two walks into three runs but stranded two more runners.

After giving up two runs in the third, Long Beach made the score 4-4 in the fifth, but again Steenstra escaped. The 49ers loaded the bases with no out, but scored only on a double-play groundout by Brent Cookson. Ed Christian flew out to right to end the threat.

“We couldn’t clutch up in the right situation,” Long Beach designated hitter Scott Talanoa said.

Long Beach All-American right-hander Steve Trachsel (11-6) was plagued by four unearned runs. His biggest mistake came against All-American catcher Doug Mirabelli, who hit a fifth-inning pitch 380 feet into the left-field bleachers. The two-run drive gave the Shockers a 6-4 lead, and they never looked back.

Wichita State added two runs in the sixth, and Long Beach continued to strand runners. The 49ers added a home run by Jason Giambi in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.

Long Beach (44-21) next will play Clemson (60-9) in an elimination game Monday at 1:07 p.m. (PDT).