Long Beach, Santa Barbara win

Big West schools start fast in NCAA regionals. Cal State Fullerton game is halted by weather.

Chris Mathewson gave up two hits in 62⁄3 innings, leadoff batter Jarren Duran doubled and tripled and Long Beach State defeated Florida Atlantic, 5-1, in the first game of the Coral Gables (Fla.) Regional.

Mathewson (8-5) struck out four and walked two for the Dirtbags (37-20), who will play host Miami on Saturday night in a winners’ bracket matchup in the double-elimination event. Daniel Jackson, Luke Rasmussen and Garrett Hampson also had two hits apiece for Long Beach.

Esteban Puerta homered in the seventh inning for Florida Atlantic. David McKay (3-6) took the loss, giving up three runs and six hits in five innings.

The Owls (38-18) will play Stetson in an elimination game Saturday afternoon.

UC Santa Barbara 3, Washington 2: Austin Bush homered leading off the bottom of the 14th inning, giving the Gauchos (38-18) the victory at Nashville.

The Gauchos had runners on second base in each of the previous three innings before Bush drove Alex Nesbitt’s 1-1 pitch over the rightfield fence.

Washington took a 2-1 lead in the 12th on a basesloaded walk, but Devon Gradford homered leading off the bottom half to tie it.

Washington (32-22) struck out 17 times and went 0 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

Justin Kelly (2-0) struck out three in 11⁄3 innings of shutout relief.

UC Santa Barbara faces the winner of the VanderbiltXavier game, which was postponed due to weather.

Cal State Fullerton 0, Louisiana Tech 0: The Titans’ game at Starkville, Miss., was called in the middle of the seventh inning because of weather and will resume Saturday morning.

The Titans had only three hits and missed a scoring chance in the sixth inning.

The winner will face host Mississippi State, which defeated Southeast Missouri State, 9-5.