‘Eaters cap off sweep at New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The UC Irvine baseball team finished off an explosive and successful five-game road trip Sunday, pounding host New Mexico, 12-1, to sweep the three-game nonconference series at Isotopes Park.

The No. 16-ranked Anteaters’ bats were downright radioactive against the Lobos, as UCI (28-10) registered 28 runs and 49 hits, including five home runs, in the three games. The ‘Eaters outscored the Mountain West Conference representative, 28-10.

Four Anteaters had at least three hits Sunday, including sophomore right fielder Dillon Bell, who went three for five with five runs batted in, including his third home run of the season, his second in as many days.

Bell, who emerged as a starter just before the midway point of the schedule, was six for 13 in the series and eight for 20 on the trip, which included a split at Kansas State Tuesday and Wednesday. He now leads the team with a .377 batting average and eight of his 23 hits have been for extra bases.

Junior center fielder Ollie Linton went four for five with three RBIs, three runs and one stolen base Sunday, including his third homer of the campaign. He was a staggering 11 for 15 with five RBIs for the series to up his average to .352 with 28 RBIs and 30 stolen bases, the latter a school single-season record.

Junior shortstop Ben Orloff was three for four Sunday and finished seven for 13 in the series. He was 10 for 23 on the trip and is now hitting .351 with a team-leading 12 doubles. Orloff’s current 13-game hitting streak is the best on the team this season.

Sophomore second baseman Casey Stevenson went three for four with one RBI Sunday. He was five for eight in the series and six for 13 on the trip.

Freshman Ryan Fisher, who may have taken over for sophomore Jeff Cusick at first base, was two for four with three RBIs Sunday.

The offense was more than enough for sophomore left-hander Danny Bibona, who allowed one run and five hits in seven innings to improve to 6-1. It was a career-long outing for Bibona, whose earned-run average dropped to 3.49.

The Anteaters’ staff ERA dipped to 2.84, which ranks among the top five in the nation (NCAA stats are released on Mondays).

Crosby Slaught and Chris Lopez each worked a scoreless inning of relief to drop the Lobos to 27-19.

New Mexico scored in the first for the third straight time, taking a 1-0 lead on a home run by Mike Brownstein. But that cushion vanished when Bell drove a two-run single to right field in the third to give UCI the advantage for good.

Linton’s solo homer and a two-run shot by Bell were the big blows in a five-run Irvine fifth inning.

Bell singled in Linton, who stole five bases on the trip, in the sixth and the visitors tacked on four runs in the ninth when Fisher doubled in two runs and Linton later whacked a two-run double.

It was the seventh weekend series victory in nine tries for the Anteaters, who have swept four series, all against nonconference foes.

UCI returns to action Tuesday when it plays host to Loyola Marymount at 6 p.m.

The Anteaters open a three-game Big West Conference series Friday afternooon at Cal State Northridge.

While UCI was beating up on New Mexico, it remained in sixth place in conference with a 6-6 record.

Cal State Fullerton won two of three from UC Davis to solidify its conference lead at 11-4, while UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State are tied for second at 8-4. UC Davis and UC Riverside are both 7-5, leaving UCI some work to do with 12 conference games left.

Nonconference

UC Irvine 12, New Mexico 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bibona, Slaught (8), Lopez (9) and Larson; Smith, Hesketh (5), Skelton (7), Grubbs (8) and Neda. W – Bibona, 6-1. L – Smith, 4-2. 2B – Linton (UCI), Orloff (UCI), Stevenson (UCI), Courcha (NM). 3B – Fisher (UCI). HR – Linton (UCI), Bell (UCI), Brownstein (NM).