Box Score WICHITA -- Long Beach State's three-run ninth proved to be the difference as the Dirtbags (7-9) handed Wichita State (10-9) a 6-4 loss Friday night in the first of a three-game set this weekend at Eck Stadium.

Each of the first eight hitters in the order for Wichita State recorded at least one hit, while leadoff hitter Taylor Brown continued to impress, going 4-for-5 on the night. Tyler Grimes and Mitch Caster both drove in runs as the Shockers failed to produce an extra-base hit in the game.

Shocker starter Tim Kelley flirted with trouble by allowing the leadoff man to reach in each of the first three innings, but the Dirtbags couldn't capitalize until the third when back-to-back singles led to the first run of the night after an RBI single by Devin Lohman scored Jonathan Jones to give The Beach a 1-0 lead.

WSU answered in the bottom of the frame after Josh Rosecrans led the Shocker third off with a single and came home on a ground ball by Tyler Grimes tying the game, 1-1. Rosecrans got to third after Taylor Brown posted a one-out single to put runners on second and third, and Grimes delivered his ninth RBI of the season to even the score after three.

Kelley cruised through the third and the fourth, while the Shockers left runners on the corners in the fifth before Long Beach took back the lead in the sixth after a two-run blast by Steve Tinoco gave the Dirtbags a 3-1 edge after six.

LBSU went down in order in the seventh before the Shockers appeared poised to strike again in the bottom of the frame. Cody Lassley reached with one out on a Dirtbag error before Taylor Brown sent the Shocker catcher to second on an infield single. Grimes put the pair in scoring position on a groundout to Long Beach starter Adam Wilk (2-1), which brought on reliever David Born to face centerfielder Ryan Jones. Born got Wilk out of the jam however, sitting down Jones on strikes to end the WSU threat in the seventh.

Wilk gave up nine hits in 6.2 innings of work, but constantly worked out of the jams, giving up just one run and striking out seven in the win.

Josh Smith came on in relief of Tim Kelley (1-1) to start the eighth after the sophomore threw 106 pitches in seven full innings of work. Kelley scattered seven hits while giving up three earned runs, walking two and striking out seven in the loss.

WSU put runners on the corners with one out in the eighth after Chris O'Brien drew the first walk of the night by an LBSU pitcher, and went to third a batter later when Will Baez poked an 0-2 pitch into center. Mitch Caster drove in O'Brien with a groundball to the shortstop, putting the tying run at second in Baez.

Relief pitcher Charlie Ruiz walked his first batter of the night in Rosecrans, putting the go-ahead run aboard in Andrew Letourneau, who took over base running duties after the walk. Ruiz settled in however, striking out Cody Lassley to strand two more Shockers and end WSU's threat to regain the lead in the eighth with the Shockers trailing, 3-2.

The Dirtbags put the game away in the ninth, using a two-out, two-RBI single by Devin Lohman to cap off a three-run rally that gave LBSU a 6-2 going into WSU's final at bat.

Ruiz picked up his team-best third save of the season by working the final 1.1 innings, but it wasn't exactly easy as Ryan Jones scored on a wild pitch after advancing to second on another wild delivery from the Dirtbag closer. O'Brien collected a two-out RBI after slapping a 2-2 pitch right back over Ruiz' head before Baez reached on an error to bring the winning run to the plate in Caster.

Dirtbag catcher Kip Masuda helped Ruiz get out of the jam however, picking off Baez at first for the final out, securing the series opener for Long Beach State.

The teams resume the series at 2 p.m., tomorrow at Eck Stadium.