Swanson throws no-hitter

IRVINE ? Glenn Swanson won’t be able to stay on the UC Irvine baseball team after this season, making this year the swan song for the redshirt senior. But Swanson will stay in the record books long after he departs UC Irvine after Tuesday’s performance.

The left-hander threw the Anteaters’ first no-hitter since 1974 and had a career-high 14 strikeouts as UC Irvine toppled San Diego, 7-0, in a nonconference game at Anteater Ballpark.

Swanson, who felt sick before the game and didn’t think he had much zing on his pitches in the bullpen, has thrown 13 innings of no-hit ball in his last two starts. He started and hurled four perfect innings in UC Irvine’s 5-0 victory over USC on April 18.

In between the two outings, Swanson gave up a run in relief against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday night.

His only blemish on Tuesday against the Toreros (25-18) was a fourth-inning walk to Keoni Ruth. Swanson worked ahead in the count all night, spotting his fastball and keeping command of his off-speed pitches. He struck out eight batters looking, including pinch-hitter Nick McCoy to open the ninth inning and freshman David Harris to slam the door on the no-hitter.

“It was unbelievable,” redshirt sophomore catcher Aaron Lowenstein said. “I had chills the whole ninth inning.”

It was the first no-hitter Swanson has ever thrown and the first Lowenstein has ever caught.

“I came close in high school, but I’ve never been able to get over the hump,” Swanson said. “Getting that first-pitch strike over and having command of my curve were the keys, and the defense behind me was unbelievable.”

Not only was the UC Irvine defense in top form, the offense was clicking. The game was an ongoing battle over what part of the Anteaters’ game was most impressive. In the end, Swanson stole the show, but UC Irvine (25-17), which took four of five on the homestand, was sharp in every aspect.

“That was a perfect game for us ? great offense, great defense and, of course, great pitching,” UC Irvine Coach Dave Serrano said.

Sophomore center fielder Taylor Holiday led the defensive charge for the errorless Anteaters. In the top of the third inning, Holiday made a sliding catch in right-center field on a drive in the gap by San Diego junior Shane Buschini. Then Swanson struck out Kevin Hansen looking with a fastball on the inside corner.

The Anteaters responded with a four-run third, sparked by Lowenstein’s leadoff single, Gary Dudrey’s sacrifice bunt and Cody Cipriano’s run-scoring double off the center-field fence. Holiday added an RBI triple later in the inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, Holiday made a sliding catch on the warning track on a deep drive by Harris to keep the no-hitter intact.

“He didn’t feel good before the game and he didn’t think he had his pitches,” said Serrano, who was the pitching coach at Cal State Fullerton when Kirk Saarloos tossed a no-hitter for the Titans in 2001. “But that’s the way no-hitters happen sometimes. And it couldn’t have happened to a better person.

“That’ll be a memory he keeps forever.”

The feat was even sweeter for Swanson because it came against one of his hometown schools. Swanson went to Morse High in San Diego.

“It seems like every time I pitch against them, things are going well, then I give up some big hits,” said Swanson. “To have an outing like this against them is icing on the cake. Whenever I pitch against them or San Diego State, I get a little more excited.”

Swanson said he was completely aware of his no-hitter status during the game, but he didn’t let it bother him.

“I knew the whole way, I just tried to put it out of my mind when I was on the mound and concentrate on throwing first-pitch strikes,” Swanson said.

Swanson’s emergence as a starter gives UC Irvine another option on Big West Conference weekends.

“We’re starting to get set up for down the road. It gives us the starting pitching we’d need in a four-team tournament,” said Serrano, referring to the postseason. “I know we have a lot of things to do before we get there, but this has us heading in the right direction.”