Stars aligned for UCI

Barry Faulkner

A 22-6-1 start, the best in the UC Irvine baseball program’s 26

seasons, might be enough to indicate the stars are aligned for the

Anteaters this spring.

But victory against Big West Conference visitor UC Santa Barbara

virtually fell out of the sky Friday night to support a sterling

mound performance by Anteater junior left-hander Glenn Swanson.

The key play in the ‘Eaters’ 5-3 win occurred with the bases

loaded in the sixth against Gauchos tough-luck starter Andy Graham.

After Matt Fisher scored from third on a wild pitch to double UCI’s

lead to 2-0, R.J. Brown walked and Danny McCarthy laid down a bunt

single to load the bases.

Erik Johnson then lofted what appeared to be a sacrifice fly to

center field. But UCSB outfielder Matt Stevens quickly began holding

his arms out, palms up, indicating he did not see the arcing drive.

It fell untouched several feet from him for a two-run single and,

before the inning was through, the hosts had all their bullpen would

need to go 2-0 in the three-game, conference-opening series before

823 spectators.

“We got a huge break,” UCI Coach John Savage said of the misplay,

which was compounded when an infield throwing error allowed the fifth

UCI run to score two outs later. “The bases were loaded and they lost

the ball in the sky. It’s a tough sky at that time and [Stevens] just

lost it and we ended up getting a four-run sixth out of it. That was

the difference in the game.”

Darkness had fallen on Anteater Ballpark by the sixth inning, but

it was only the Gauchos’ sixth night game of the season. They are now

2-4 under the lights.

Swanson, who improved to 6-1, was also a difference-maker,

carrying a no-hitter into the seventh and posting a career-high 11

strikeouts.

Swanson flirted with the no-no until two were out in the seventh,

when senior cleanup hitter Taylor Vogt bounced a ground ball past

diving shortstop Kyle Ryckebosch for a single.

Matt Wilkerson followed with a single and pinch-hitter David

Figoni laced a two-run double high off the left-field fence to end

the Gauchos’ scoreless streak at 15 2/3 innings.

It also halted what Swanson called the best start of his career,

as Savage went to the pen.

“I felt good from the start until I was pulled,” said Swanson,

who, until giving up the three straight hits, had faced just one more

than the minimum. He walked two, but picked one of those runners off

first, on a controversial move that UCSB Coach Bob Brontsema argued

so passionately, he was ejected for the first time this season.

Chris Valaikas greeted UCI releiver Steve Schroer with an RBI

single to cut the deficit to 5-3, but Schroer got out of the inning.

David Huff took over after a UCSB leadoff single in the eighth and

induced a double-play grounder that helped kill some Gaucho momentum.

Greg Powers followed with a line single to center, which prompted

Savage to bring in freshman closer Blair Erickson, who entered

leading the nation with 11 saves.

Erickson, well-rested after Brett Smith’s tossed the first

complete game by a UCI starter this year the night before, was

greeted by a single. But he retired the next four hitters, three on

strikeouts, to help the Anteaters keep pace with Long Beach State,

Cal State Fullerton and, if it held off UC Riverside Friday, Cal Poly

San Luis Obispo atop the conference standings.

“I thought Swanson was outstanding,” Savage said. “He was throwing

four pitches for strikes and he was consistent. That’s as good as he

has been.”

UCSB (20-12, 0-2 in conference) matched UCI’s seven hits, but

still came up short as the Anteaters, ranked No. 10 by Collegiate Baseball, won their ninth game in their last 10 and clinched their

seventh series victory in as many opportunities this season.

Graham, who tossed a six-hit shutout against Sacramento State six

days previous, allowed just five hits and struck out four, before

exiting in the seventh. He took the loss and fell to 2-2.

Johnson was 2 for 4, the only Anteater with more than one hit, and

his two RBIs increased his team-leading total to 29.

UCI opened the scoring with an unearned run in the fourth, when

R.J. Brown reached second after left fielder Bill Rowe dropped his

routine fly ball for a two-base error. Brown advanced to third on

Danny McCarthy’s groundout to second, then scored on a balk.

Savage and Swanson said a three-game sweep was vital in today’s

series finale.

“It’s big,” Savage said of today’s contest. “You play 21 league

games and you have to win the ones at home. “But Santa Barbara is

going to win some series this year. Santa Barbara has a good team. We

have an opportunity to do something you don’t often do in the Big

West against a quality team like that.”

ZOTS -- Friday’s pitching victory by Glenn Swanson marked the

fifth time in eight tries that he and fellow UC Irvine junior Brett

Smith have both won on consecutive days this season ...Coming into

Friday’s game, Erik Johnson (27), Matt Fischer (25) and Matt Anderson

(21) had 73 of UCI’s 140 RBIs. The other six starters in the lineup

Friday had a combined 38 RBIs. The nine starting UC Santa Barbara

hitters came in with a combined 211 RBIs ... Current and former

members of the United States Armed Forces will receive two free

admissions (with military ID) to today’s 1 p.m. series finale with

UCSB. Costa Mesa resident Lefteris “Lefty” Lavrakas, a World War II

veteran, is scheduled to throw out the first pitch ...Sophomore Chris

Nicoll (3-0, 1.58 ERA) is slated to start today against UCSB

sophomore right-hander Steve Morlock. (5-4, 4.59) ... Matt Fisher was

hit for the team-leading sixth time to lead off UCI’s four-run,

sixth-inning rally.

*--*

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 5, UC Santa Barbara 3

Score by Innings

UCSB 000 000 300 - 3 7 2

UC Irvine 000 140 00x -- 5 7 0

Graham, Ramirez (7) and Kalafatis;

Swanson, Schroer (7), Huff (8), Erickson

(8) and Werhun. W - Swanson, 6-1. L -

Graham, 2-2. Sv - Erickson (12). 2B -

Figoni (UCSB).

*--*