Ramos quiets UCI sticks

Bryce Alderton

For the second consecutive game, UC Irvine hitters faced a pitcher in

a groove, which made developing any offensive melody all the more

difficult.

That’s how it goes facing the Big West Conference’s top pitching

staff.

Four early runs only gave Long Beach State starter Cesar Ramos

that much more to work with and the sophomore left-hander didn’t

disappoint.

Ramos allowed two runs on six hits in 8 1/3 innings to earn his

fifth victory in six starts as host Long Beach State held off UCI’s

meek ninth inning to remain undefeated in conference following a 4-2

decision on a crisp Saturday in front of 785 spectators at Blair

Field.

After allowing four hits and one run through the first two

innings, Ramos didn’t allow another hit until UCI’s Matt Anderson

sent a one-out, bloop single into right field in the top of the ninth

that chased Ramos (1.99 ERA entering the contest) and dashed any

hopes of his second complete game of the season.

Pinch-hitter R.J. Brown doubled off Long Beach reliever Neil

Jamison to bring in Anderson, bringing the Anteaters (23-9-1, 2-3 in

conference) within 4-2, but Jamison struck out catcher Matt Wagner

and got David Kennedy on a comebacker to earn his ninth save for the

49ers (25-9, 5-0).

“We have been dominated the last few days on the mound,” UCI Coach

John Savage said, referring to Long Beach’s 3-0 triumph in the

three-game series opener Friday night.

Long Beach junior ace Jared Weaver went the distance, striking out

12 without a walk to improve to 11-0.

Ramos, who suffered the loss in UCI’s 1-0 victory over the 49ers

March 27, followed Weaver’s outing by facing the minium 18 batters

from the third to the eighth innings with help from three double

plays in that span.

“[Ramos] was just as good [Saturday] as he was [March 27],” Savage

said. “[Saturday] he happened to get four runs early and that was the

difference in the game.”

UCI, ranked No. 7 by Collegiate Baseball, took a 1-0 lead in the

top of the second on Kyle Ryckebosch’s two-out RBI single, which

brought in Jordan Szabo, who had also singled.

But Long Beach, ranked No. 5 by Baseball America, scored three in

its half of the second off UCI junior starter Glenn Swanson, capped

by Brad Davis’ two-run home run, which barely cleared the left-field

fence beyond the outstretched arm of a leaping Szabo.

The 49ers, a.k.a. the “Dirtbags,” forged a two-out rally in the

third to chase Swanson, who suffered the loss and fell to 6-2, after

first baseman Mike Hofius singled in John Bowker (two hits, two runs

scored).

Swanson went just 2 2/3 innings -- his shortest outing this season

-- allowing six hits and four runs.

Long Beach has chased the opposing team’s starting pitcher before

the fourth inning four of its last five games.

The exception: UCI’s Brett Smith, who allowed six hits and one run

in seven innings Friday night opposite Weaver.

“I’ve seen Swanson a lot better than that,” Long Beach Coach Mike

Weathers said. “We saw him when he was much better [in a 5-3 UC

Irvine win March 28].

Weathers agreed with Savage that the early runs were a key in a

series that features the top two pitching squads in the conference.

UCI entered the game with a 2.77 team ERA compared to Long Beach’s

2.37.

UCI freshman Justin Cassel tamed the Long Beach bats following

Swanson’s exit, allowing just one hit and no runs in 5 1/3 innings.

“[Cassel] gave us a chance to win,” Savage said.

Anderson, hitting in the No. 3 spot, picked up the slack for the

injured Erik Johnson with two singles and a run scored, the only

Anteater with more than two hits against Ramos.

Savage estimated Johnson (a .288 hitter with a team-leading four

home runs and 31 RBIs) will miss three to four weeks with a sprained

left wrist.

Though Johnson’s injury hurts the team’s offensive firepower,

Savage gave credit where credit is due.

“Weaver and Ramos are a good 1-2 punch to see out there,” Savage

said. “Pitching has a lot to do with 3-0 and 4-2 [games]. The other

guys need to step up.”

UCI will send sophomore Chris Nicoll (3-1, 1.80 ERA) to the mound

in today’s series finale at 1 p.m. while lefty Jason Vargas (4-5,

3.56 ERA) will go for Long Beach.

UCI will try to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the

season.

“We have to go back to how we’ve been all season, not pressing and

getting runs across,” Anderson said. “Offensively, we are trying to

do too much.”

*--*

Big West Conference

Long Beach State 4, UC Irvine 2

Score by Innings

UC Irvine 010 000 001 -- 2 7 1

LB St. 031 000 00x -- 4 7 1

Swanson, Cassel (3) and Wagner; Ramos,

Jamison (9) and Davis. W -- Ramos, 7-2. L

-- Swanson, 6-2. Sv -- Jamison (9). 2B --

Brown (UCI), Bowker (LB), Mocny (LB). HR

-- Davis.

*--*