Feb. 19, 2013

LONG BEACH, Calif. - The 10th-ranked Arizona baseball team was trailing host Long Beach State 5-4 in the eighth inning before heavy rain forced umpires to delay and ultimately suspend Tuesday night's game at Blair Field.

The game will resume from the point of interruption beginning at 3 p.m. PST on Wednesday. The second game of the series, originally scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, will begin shortly after the resumed game concludes.

Tuesday's game was called with the Dirtbags batting and runners on first and second and two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Michael Hill was at the plate facing Arizona left-hander Augey Bill with a 2-1 count.

The game was delayed for 35 minutes as heavy rainfall soaked the field around the tarp that kept the infield dry. Arizona head coach Andy Lopez and Long Beach State skipper Troy Buckley met with the umpiring crew at 9:45 p.m. local time when they decided to suspend play due to field conditions.

The Dirtbags took a 5-1 lead with a four-run fourth inning, but not before the Wildcats had a chance to get out with an easy inning. With one out and a runner on first, Jeff Yamaguchi chopped a potential inning-ending double play ball down to third base, where the ball skipped off the glove of Brandon Dixon.

The two runners moved into scoring position on a balk called against starter Nick Cunningham and scored on a two-run double by Eric Hutting. Then Josh Guerra followed with a towering two-run home run that was aided by a stiff wind blowing out to left field.

The Wildcats answered back with a pair of runs. Kevin Newman reached second base to lead off the fifth when a fly ball was dropped by right fielder Richard Prigatano. Scott Kingery followed with a bunt single to put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly and later an RBI single by Dixon drove in two runs to cut the Dirtbags' lead to 5-3.

Arizona added another run in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Ryan Koziol drew a walk and advanced to second base to open the inning. Joseph Maggi moved him to third with a ground out, and Newman followed with a sacrifice fly to center.

The visiting Wildcats struck first with a run in the opening frame on Trent Gilbert's RBI single to right field. Johnny Field, who reached on a fielder's choice and moved to third on Dixon's single, slid into home safely as the catcher, Hutting, was unable to control the throw from Prigatano.

Arizona threatened again in the second, putting runners on second and third with two outs. But Riley Moore flied out to right field to end the inning and strand two runners for the second straight inning.

Long Beach State tied the game in the bottom of the third. Michael Hill tripled to left-center to lead off, then after a strikeout, Jeff McNeil drove in the tying run on a sacrifice fly to left field.

Cunningham finished with five runs - four earned - allowed on seven hits in four innings. He did not walk a batter and matched his career high with five strikeouts.

Right-hander Tyger Talley took over for Cunningham and pitched 2.2 scoreless innings with one hit, a walk and three strikeouts. Bill then entered with two outs in the seventh, and with two outs in the eighth remains responsible for the two runners on base.

Dirtbags starter Nick Sabo pitched five innings, giving up three runs - one earned. He struck out a career-high six, walked one and allowed six hits.

Long Beach State relievers Logan Lombana, Jake Stassi and Eddie Magallon combined to throw 3.0 innings without allowing a hit.