LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — Dylan Smith delivered a masterful performance on the mound, carrying a no-hit bid into the ninth inning as Cal State Fullerton defeated Long Beach State 6-2 in a Big West Conference baseball game Sunday evening at Blair Field.

The Titans (16-16, 3-3 Big West) secured the series victory, taking two of three from their rivals after the teams split the first two games. The Dirtbags fell to 11-23 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

The story of the afternoon was Smith, the Cal State Fullerton right-hander. He dominated the Long Beach State lineup for eight innings, facing just two batters over the minimum. He did not allow a hit, walking two and striking out four. His only blemish was a hit batter in the third inning. Smith retired 16 consecutive batters at one point, from the third inning into the eighth, and needed just 89 pitches to navigate his eight frames.

Cal State Fullerton provided its starter with early run support against Long Beach State’s Jason Gerfers. The Titans struck for two runs in the second inning. Ty Thomas led off with a double, advanced to third on a walk and scored on Niko Lombardi’s single to left. Andrew Kirchner, who had walked, later scored on Hunter Meyer’s sacrifice fly.

They added another run in the fourth. Kirchner doubled, moved to third on a bunt and scored on Cade O’Hara’s sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. The Titans chased Gerfers in the fifth after Thomas drove an RBI double to deep left, scoring Paul Contreras who had walked. Gerfers took the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out six.

The game remained 4-0 into the eighth, when Cal State Fullerton added two crucial insurance runs without a hit. O’Hara and Meyer walked, and a double steal put both runners in scoring position. Eli Lopez then executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt, scoring both runners for a 6-0 lead.

Smith returned to start the ninth but was lifted after his eight-inning gem. Reliever Joseph Jasso took over and immediately surrendered a single to Kaiden Smaka, ending the combined no-hit bid. Two batters later, Dylan Lina launched a two-run homer to deep left field, putting the Dirtbags on the board and accounting for all of Long Beach State’s offense. Jasso retired the next batter to end the game.

Thomas led the Titans’ six-hit attack, going 3 for 5 with an RBI and two doubles. Lombardi and Lopez each drove in a run. For the Dirtbags, Lina’s ninth-inning homer was the key blow in a 2-for-4 performance. Jake Evans added a double for Long Beach State, which also finished with six hits, all coming from different players.

The most important part of the game was Smith’s sustained dominance. His ability to carry a no-hitter deep into the game on a relatively low pitch count completely neutralized the Long Beach State offense and allowed the Titans to build their lead without pressure. The two-run homer in the ninth only underscored how vital his lengthy outing was to the victory, as it turned a potential dramatic collapse into a mere footnote.

Cal State Fullerton returns to action Tuesday at home against San Diego. Long Beach State hosts Southern California on Tuesday.