Near no-no for UCI pitchers

Steve Virgen

It was a meaningless game for the UC Irvine baseball team, but the

Anteaters had a chance for a no-hitter with one out in the top of the

ninth inning.

However, just as their season, the Anteaters came close to stardom

and making history, yet were left with a bit of frustration after

they gave up a double.

UCI still managed to win, ending its season with a 2-0

nonconference victory over visiting Hawaii in front of 785 fans at

Anteater Ballpark Wednesday night.

“Frustration,” UCI Coach John Savage said after being asked to put

the 2003 season in perspective. “Close would be another word. We

pitched as well as any of the top teams [in the Big West Conference].

We just couldn’t overcome injuries. Anyone that followed us this

year, knows that’s a fact ... It’s a learning experience. But look

for UC Irvine to come back in a big way next year.”

The Anteaters (21-35) ended their five-game losing streak with one

run in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Freshman Chris Nicoll

earned his first pitching win of the season. Phil Tripoli, Kris

Krise, Ryan Edell and Steve Schroer also combined for UCI’s only

one-hitter of the season. It was the second time UCI shut out a team

this season.

Hawaii had not been shut out since April 5 at Rice and the

Rainbows (28-25) last endured a one-hitter against San Jose State

last year.

“To have a no-hitter in the ninth says a lot about our pitching

staff and their future,” Savage said. “It’s a good way to finish the

season. It’s a good way for the seniors to go out.”

UCI gained a 1-0 lead after sophomore first baseman B.J. Eucce

scored in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Chris Klemm plated Eucce

after his base hit. The Anteaters scored another run in the sixth

when junior Matt Fisher scored on a Eucce single that caused an error

in center field.

The two runs proved to be enough for UCI, which has been

offensively inept throughout the season. In 15 of their losses, the

Anteaters did not score more than one run, and they were shut out in

seven games. However, pitching was their strongest facet. Nicoll

provided a glimpse of UCI’s staff and its future.

Nicoll called his 3 1/3 innings of work his best outing of the

season. He retired the first 11 batters and then walked Brent Cook.

That’s when Savage walked to the mound and inserted Tripoli. Nicoll

said he knew other UCI pitchers would see action and he did not have

a problem with being pulled.

Nicoll recorded three strikeouts.

“I definitely learned a lot this season,” Nicoll said. “We were

hoping for that [no-hitter]. But to get the one-hitter shows you how

good our pitching staff is and we have a lot of guys coming back next

year.”

For now, the Anteaters can only look to next season. They finished

8-13 in the Big West, which put them in a fifth-place tie with UC

Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge.

Last year, UCI won eight of its first 12 games. This year, the

Anteaters, in their second season after a 10-year hiatus, lost eight

of their first 12.

Last year, UCI finished 33-26, 14-10 in the Big West for a

fourth-place tie with Fullerton. UCI won five of seven conference

series last season, but it won just two this year.

A big reason for their losses and frustration came from injuries

to four players.

Sophomores Matt Anderson, Jaime Martinez, R.J. Brown and Erik

Johnson missed most of the season because of injuries. Anderson,

Martinez and Brown would have been Nos. 3-4-5 in the batting order.

The quartet received medical redshirts for the season. Anderson led

the Anteaters with 91 hits and 57 runs last year. The trio was the

reason Savage was excited that the offense would receive a lift this

season.

Savage would not comment about coaching at UCLA. Published reports

throughout the season have linked Savage to the Bruins if UCLA fires

Gary Adams. Savage says he plans to recruit and track his players’

progress throughout the off-season.

“Gary has been a great coach,” Savage said. “He’s the coach at

UCLA and he should stay as coach. He has been great at college

baseball.”

*--*

Nonconference

UC Irvine 2, Hawaii 0

Score by Innings

Hawaii 000 000 000 -- 0 1 1

UC Irvine 000 011 00x -- 2 7 0

Ponomarenko, Cayetano (5), Olsen (7),

Carlsen (8) and Inouya; Nicoll, Tripoli

(4), Krise (5), Edell (7), Schroer (8)

and Wagner. W -- Nicoll, 1-2. L --

Ponomarenko, 4-2. Sv -- Schroer, 1. 2B --

Omura (H)

*--*