Anteaters earn seventh straight win

TEMPE, Ariz. — UC Irvine junior designated hitter Brock Bardeen hit his first college home run to lead the fifth-ranked Anteaters baseball team to a 5-2 win over Florida International at the Bob Schaefer Memorial Tournament at Arizona State Friday.

UCI (15-1), which has won seven straight games, received another solid performance from All-American pitcher Scott Gorgen. The junior improved to 4-1 after striking out nine and surrendering two runs on seven hits while walking two.

Sophomore closer Eric Pettis struck out one and yielded a hit in 1 2/3 innings to record his fourth save of the season. Sophomore first baseman Jeff Cusick went three for four with a run batted in.

FIU got on the board in the first inning as Jorge Castillo capitalized on a leadoff double from Corey Lozana with an RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.

Cusick, who had UCI’s first hit of the game in the second inning, also drove in the team’s first run with a game-tying hit to score Ben Orloff in the fourth.

Bardeen gave UCI the lead in the fifth inning, driving a first-pitch offering from starter Chris Allen over the right-field fence to give the Anteaters a 3-1 lead.

Catcher Francis Larson laced his team-high sixth double of the season in the sixth to drive in Cusick. Orloff doubled to lead off the eighth and scored on an FIU error to cap the scoring for the Anteaters. Orloff finished the day two for three with two runs scored.

FIU was led by Ryan Mollica, Jorge Castillo and Raimy Fuentes, who had two hits apiece. Allen dropped to 2-2 after giving up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in seven innings.

The Anteaters play Northern Colorado today at noon.

Nonconference

UC Irvine 5, Florida International 2

SCORE BY INNINGS

Allen, Marban (8) and Larson; Gorgen, Calahan (8), Pettis (8) and Stropp. W – Gorgen, 4-1. L – Allen, 2-2. 2B – Lozano (FIU), Mollica (FIU), Orloff (UCI), Larson (UCI). HR – Bardeen (UCI).