Dirtbags Defeat USC 8-4

The major league lights at Angel Stadium weren’t too bright for the Dirtbags as Jashia Morrissey-Jakel’s early grand slam was enough to power them for an 8-4 win over USC on May 2.

It was a special moment for Morrissey-Jakel as his career night was witnessed by his mom that was in attendance along with the 3,487 others in the stands.

“That was my mom's first time ever seeing me hit a home run. So that was something big for me there. I saw my mom in the stands. So, you know, that was kind of huge for me right there,” said Morrissey-Jakel.

Despite being a memorable keepsake for both Morrissey- Jakel and his mom Danielle, the grand slam ball was picked up by a kid in attendance which Morrissey-Jakel later autographed for the young fan.

Starting pitcher Jake Rons also had a career night, pitching six innings with nine strikeouts and 99 total pitches. His teammate and catcher Connor Burns praises Rons for not shying away under the bright lights in Anaheim.

“It’s Angel Stadium, so I thought he came in a little more focused off the get-go and then with catch play and in the bullpen and he got himself out of jams,” said Burns. “I think a lot of counts started ahead, which is big, a lot of one wins too. So, I think that was huge and landing multiple pitches multiple accounts in any single way, which is huge.”

The Trojans managed to build a little momentum late in the seventh inning, chipping away at the lead the Dirtbags earned early on in the game.

A single up the middle by shortstop Ryan Jackson gave the Dirtbags a small double-take toward the bullpen.

Ethan Clough took over late in the ninth inning and closed out the win for Long Beach State Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

This marked the tenth game at a Major League Stadium for Long Beach State.

“I remember right before the first pitch, I kind of just took a second to take it all in, looked up around saw the whole stadium,” Rons said. “That was the best mound ever.”

Long Beach State returns home for a three-game Big West series against CSU Bakersfield at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on May 5 at 6 p.m.