UCI tops Cougars

The UC Irvine baseball team erupted for six runs in the first inning

and 10 runs in the first three innings to earn a 12-4 victory over

Washington State in the Anteaters’ final game of the YellowBook

Classic Sunday at Pepperdine University.

Senior second baseman Matt Fisher was 4 for 4 with a home run, a

double and three RBIs, while sophomore first baseman Jaime Martinez

clubbed a three-run first-inning homer for UCI.

Danny McCarthy, Brett Dalton and Gary Dudrey also had two hits

apiece for the Anteaters (14-5-1) and McCarthy had a pair of RBIs.

The win ended a two-game losing streak by the ‘Eaters and upped

starting pitcher Chris Nicoll’s record to 3-0.

Nicoll, a sophomore right-hander, allowed three hits and two

earned runs in six innings. He struck out three.

Michael Koehler pitched a shutout inning of relief, before giving

way to freshman closer Blair Erickson, who did not pitch Friday or

Saturday.

Erickson allowed one hit, two earned runs and two walks, while

striking out three in two innings.

Washington State fell to 11-5.