Area roundup: Long Beach State Dirtbags win 4th in a row; Alexander breaks long jump record

Long Beach State’s baseball team trailed early, but responded in plenty of time to cruise to its fourth consecutive win Saturday afteoon with a 7-2 victory over Columbia at Blair Field.

The No. 24 Dirtbags (14-5) allowed two runs in the top of the first iing, but rallied for a 7-0 spurt from there. Every LBSU starter had a hit and Taer Brown eaed the win after seven iings.

Junior Daniel Jackson made his retu to the lineup after a shoulder injury and came around to score on an RBI single from Tristan Mercadel in the second.

The next iing, he singled in Jarren Duran and Brock Lundquist to give Long Beach the lead for good.

Long Beach added two runs in the seventh and two in the eighth, including two RBIs from Alez Muzzi (his first career multi-RBI game), to put it away and Ty Provencher eaed his first save, working two perfect iings.

The Dirtbags will look for a four-game series sweep today at 1 p.m.

NCAA track and field

Long Beach State senior Willie Alexander broke a 20-year-old school record at the USC Trojan Invitational with a jump of 25 feet, 10 inches in the men’s long jump at Loker Stadium. On top of that, he won the event by more than a foot and now sits at No. 1 in NCAA Division I.

Alexander is a two-time All-American in the long jump and was the national ruer-up in 2014. He is also an All-American in the triple jump and was named the Big West Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after individual victories in the 100 and 200 meters at the Anteater 4-Way Meet last Saturday.

Senior Michael Montgomery was the top collegiate finisher and placed second overall in the pole vault as the first 49er to clear 17 feet this year (17-01 1/2).

On the track, senior Ryan Colebrook won the 400 hurdles in a season-best 52.59.

Freshman Courtne’ Davis anchored the Long Beach State women with a second-place finish in the 100 (11.72).

Senior Tiffany Forbito won the javelin with a season-best throw of 149-04.

Long Beach State will be at the UC Riverside Spring Track Classic next week.

NCAA softball

LONG BEACH STATE 8, WEBER STATE 4 >> After trailing 3-0 in the early going, the 49ers (18-11) rode a six-run fourth iing and a stellar pitching performance from Christina Clermont to victory during their last contest at the San Diego Classic.

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Senior Darian Tatualafua paced the offense with three RBIs, two doubles and a walk.

The fourth-iing rally began with a walk and was followed by a single from Julia Lombardi, a walk to Haley Tobler and a two-run single by Haah Cookson.

Four more runs came across in the iing as Alley Perkins ran out a grounder, Nichole Fry gave Long Beach the lead with an RBI double and Tautalafua delivered a two-run double.

Clermont (11-3) struck out 12 en route to her eighth complete game of the season.

Long Beach retus to the field for a doubleheader at Loyola Marymount on March 30 before the start of Big West Conference play.

Baseball

VALLEY CHRISTIAN 3, MARY STAR OF THE SEA 2 >> Zach Krosschell (four hits allowed, two strikeouts, no eaed runs) pitched a complete game for the Crusaders in the opening round of the St. Paul Touament.

Brett Garcia went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and RJ Van Kampen went 2 for 3 with two doubles for V.C., which will host Heritage Christian on Tuesday at 4 p.m. to open Olympic League play.

Softball

MAYFAIR 16, RAMONA 1 (4 INNINGS) >> The Monsoons improved to 5-0 with a mercy-rule win at the Whittier Touament behind senior Ashley Snyder (3 for 3, two home runs, double, HBP) and freshman Kara Spoolstra (2 for 3, home run, two RBIs).

Earlier, Mayfair defeated San Feando 8-1 as Spoolstra delivered a three-run homer and Sarah Parten and Haley Davis each added a home run of their own.

ST. ANTHONY >> The Saints split a pair of games at the Whittier Touament with a 4-1 win over San Pedro and a 6-0 loss against Sonora.

In the victory, Angelica Ponce threw a one-hitter and Amanda McCalip went 2 for 3 with a home run.

Boys swimming

POLY 115, LAKEWOOD 45 >> The Jackrabbits cruised to a Moore League victory Friday afteoon as junior Jack Neton won the 200 IM (2:08.23) and the 100 breaststoke (1:04.38) and sophomores Sam Leonard and Evan Scales took first and second in the 100 backstroke with respective times of 56.69 and 58.98 seconds.

Poly also won all three relay events.