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Cal avoids LBSU sweep

Daily Planet Wire Services
Monday February 18, 2002

Senior second baseman Carson White knocked in the game-winning RBI with no outs in the bottom of the ninth to lead Cal to a 4-3 victory over Long Beach State Sunday at Evans Diamond. 

The Bears improved to 5-6, while the No. 21 ranked 49ers fell to 4-2. 

Freshman center fielder David Nicholson started off the bottom of the ninth for Cal with a single off of 49er reliever Chris Demaria and advanced to second on an error by Long Beach State shortstop Kevin Randel. David Weiner advanced Nicholson to third with a bunt and then White won the game with a ball hit over 49er right fielder Nick Covarrubias. 

The winning pitcher for the Bears was reliever Jesse Ingram (2-2), who pitched two innings with no hits, no runs, no walks and a strikeout. Ingram had replaced Cal starter Matt Brown (seven innings, eighth hits, three runs, two walks, one strikeout).  

Cal was down 3-0, but sophomore shortstop Jeff Dragicevich got the Bears within 3-2 with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Cal tied the game, 3-3, in the seventh on an RBI single by sophomore third baseman Conor Jackson. 

“This was a huge win for us,” Cal head coach David Esquer said. “Matt Brown did a great job for us and gave us a chance to win. He kept us in the ballgame. We did a good job of hanging in there.