Anteaters keep pushing forward

IRVINE ? The UC Irvine baseball team cleared the 30-win plateau on Tuesday, but the Anteaters still have some work to do to get over the Big West Conference hump.

Coach Dave Serrano’s squad continued that crusade Friday night, trouncing Pacific, 13-6, in the opener of a three-game series at Anteater Ballpark on Friday.

It was the eighth straight win for UCI (30-17, 6-7 in the Big West), which has won 12 of its last 13. With victories today and Sunday, the Anteaters can pull into a third-place tie with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

UCI would then have just two three-game conference series remaining ? at Cal State Northridge (May 19-21) and at home against UC Riverside (May 26-28).

The Anteaters used a familiar formula for success Friday: strong starting pitching. Junior Justin Cassel held the Tigers (25-21, 5-11) to three hits and no runs through six innings. Cassel surrendered two runs on four hits in the seventh, before being replaced to start the eighth. He struck out seven to improve to 7-7, winning his third straight decision.

“We’re playing good baseball right now, but I know the team realizes that our backs are still against the wall and we have to keep fighting and fighting,” Serrano said. “I think this team is deserving of getting to a regional, but it’s our conference record right now.

“We’ve got to continue to win games and finish strong in the conference. That’s why the urgency is here and now. Ever since we kind of committed to it, we have played some pretty good baseball.”

The offense added a strong contribution to Cassel’s effort, as every spot in the batting order had at least one of the Anteaters’ 13 hits.

Designated hitter Brock Bardeen went three for five with two RBIs. First baseman Jaime Martinez was two for three with a home run ? his team-leading sixth ? while third baseman Chad Lundahl was two for four with one RBI.

Danny McCarthy, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games, and Bryan Petersen drove in two runs apiece, while Taylor Holiday also drove in a run.

Gary Dudrey had two of UCI’s four stolen bases and the Anteaters also benefited from seven wild pitches thrown by Tiger hurlers, including five in a six-run fourth inning by reliever Eric Stolp.

“I give a lot of credit to the offense,” Serrano said. “I thought the offense played excellent baseball tonight.”

Serrano said Cassel, who walked three and threw 100 pitches, was not as sharp as he has been lately. Cassel surrendered a walk and a double to open the game, but worked out of the jam without allowing a run.

“[Cassel] bobbed and weaved,” Serrano said. “That wasn’t his best outing in a while. He has been on it the last four, five or six starts and he really didn’t have it that much tonight. But he battled through it.”

It was UCI’s first conference game since April 23 and only their third game in May. But they showed little rust, picking up where they left off after beginning the conference schedule by being swept by Long Beach State and losing two of three to Cal State Fullerton.

Chris Lopez worked a scoreless eighth for UCI, but Kevin Mayer ? making only his third appearance of the season ? was touched for a grand slam by Pacific’s Justin Baum to pare into the deficit in the ninth.

Serrano said the ninth-inning provided a lesson for his team not to look past the two remaining games of the series.

“We know [the Tigers] will come out with a lot of pride and a great attitude [today in a 1 p.m. game],” Serrano said. “Last week, they got beat by UC Riverside, 11-2, in the first game of their series, then ended up winning the next two games. So, we’re aware of that and we’re going to come out and play our best game [today].”