Anteaters overpowered by 49ers

ANTEATER BALLPARK -- Host UC Irvine took a 1-0 first-inning lead, but

that was the extent of the good news for the Anteaters, who dropped

an 11-1 Big West Conference baseball decision to Long Beach State

Sunday.

Senior Anteater left fielder Chris Klemm singled in Brett Dalton

to put the hosts (15-22, 3-3 in conference) on top and UCI starting

pitcher Paul French blanked the 49ers (23-12, 4-2), ranked No. 10,

through two innings.

But Long Beach State capitalized on two UCI errors to score three

in the third and proceeded to the double-digit victory behind a

17-hit attack paced by third baseman Adam Heether, who went 5 for 5

off four Anteater hurlers.

The third UCI error contributed to Long Beach State’s three-run

rally in the fourth. The third Anteater miscue occurred with the

bases loaded to up the Long Beach lead to 4-1, then Todd Jennings

singled in two more to put things out of reach.

The Dirtbags, however, kept pouring it on, adding a single run in

the fifth and two runs in the seventh and eight.

French lasted three innings, yielding five earned runs on nine

hits, to absorb his third loss in four decisions this spring.

Long Beach State starter Cesar Ramos was unable to earn the

victory. He was pulled with one out in the third, after giving up

five hits and one run. Reliever Neil Jamison held UCI scoreless over

4 2/3innings, to earn the win, improving his record to 5-1. UCI

managed five hits off Jamison, but he fanned three. Bo Ashabraner and

Carlos Muniz each worked a hitless inning of relief for Long Beach

State.

The victory allowed the 49ers to win the series, which began with

a 9-4 Long Beach win Friday night, but was evened up on Saturday,

when the Anteaters prevailed, 7-1.

UCI senior shortstop B.J. Eucce went 2 for 3 with a walk and

freshman catcher Mark Wagner went 2 for 4 for the Anteaters, who had

at least one hit from eight players.

In addition to Heether, who drove in one run and scored three,

Jennings was 3 for 6 with three RBIs. Mike Hofius and Troy Tulowitzki

also had two hits and combined for three RBIs for the winners.

UCI visits Fresno State for a nonconference game at 6:35 p.m.,

before continuing on the road with a three-game Big West Series at

University of the Pacific, beginning Thursday.

*--*

Big West Conference

Long Beach St. 11, UCI 1

Score by Innings

Long Beach 003 310 220 -- 11 17 0

UC Irvine 100 000 000 -- 1 10 4

Ramos, Jamison (3), Ashabraner (8),

Munis (9); French, Koehler (4), Nicoll

(6), DaVern (9) and Wagner, Wehrun (9).

W -- Jamison, 5-1. L -- French, 1-3. 2B

-- Jennings (LB), Heether (LB), Hanson

(LB) 2, Klemm (UCI), Fisher (UCI). 3B

-- Tulowitzki (LB)

*--*