Long Beach: Final Thoughts

By Lara Boyko - June 02, 2007

After a first game that provided very few surprises, the best was saved for last as the No. 4-seed UIC played as well as they could on the strength of Ryan Zink's post-Tommy John surgery-enhanced elbow.

Along with this Regional game being a great test for Zink's elbow, it was also a great test for the UIC team whose last visit to Blair Field was the experience of being swept. Instead of letting the crowd or the pedigree of Long Beach State get to them, UIC proved with their upset why they deserved to be in this Regional.

Tomorrow UIC will face another pedigree team in UCLA, but if tonight is any indication of tomorrow, even the underdog can have its day.

First game tomorrow with Pepperdine and Long Beach State starts at 3 p.m. while the night game is expected to start around 7 p.m.

Noteable performances from both games today:

Game One:

Pepperdine -- Ryan Heroy only went 1-4, but his one hit of the game brought in two runs for Pepperdine in the top of the ninth.

UCLA -- Cody Decker finished went 2-4 which including his first inning two-run home run that put the Bruins on the board first.

Game Two:

UIC -- Chad Schroeder finished went 2-3 and his first hit of the game in the fifth inning produced two runs for the Flames.

Long Beach State -- Robert Perry recorded the Dirtbags' sole hit of the game in the fourth inning on his 1-3 performance.