LONG BEACH — Juaron Watts-Brown made history on Sunday, throwing the first complete game no-hitter in the history of the Long Beach State baseball program in a 4-0 victory over UC Riverside at Blair Field. The freshman right-hander also had 16 strikeouts, one short of the program record, in LBSU’s fifth shutout victory of the season.

The only other no-hitter in LBSU history was a combined no-hitter by Chris Mathewson and Darren McCaughan on March 1, 2015.

The win gave Long Beach State (21-25 overall, 10-11 Big West Conference) a sweep of the three-game series with struggling UCR (7-36, 3-21).

Watts-Brown, a Hanford native, needed 114 pitches (75 strikes). The only UCR baserunner came via a walk in the top of the fourth inning. The 16 strikeoits are the most by an LBSU pitcher since Jered Weaver set the record with 17 on May 7, 2004. It is also the first complete game shutout by a freshman since Weaver on May 19, 2002 and the first complete game by any Long Beach pitcher since Chris Mathewson on May 16, 2015.

Watts-Brown now has back-to-back double-digit strikeout outings, giving him 26 over his last 15 innings.

The LBSU offense got going early when Chase Luttrell had a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning. The hosts added two more runs in the sixth on Tyler White’s bases-loaded walk and Eddie Saldivar’s sacrifice fly.

This was LBSU’s fifth consecutive series sweep of UCR, extending its win streak against the Highlanders to 17 consecutive games. LBSU has won four games in a row and six of seven.

Long Beach plays its final midweek game of the season when it hosts USC on Wednesday night. The Dirtbags then play at Cal State Bakersfield on Friday-Sunday before a May 20-22 series against rival Cal State Fullerton at Blair Field.

The first solo no-hitter in program history!@JuaronWatts pic.twitter.com/nRCJ86i0pN

— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) May 8, 2022

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