Long Beach State blanks UCI on three hits

A season of struggle reached a new low on Friday, when the UC Irvine baseball absorbed a black-and-blue blanking.

Big West Conference and neighboring Black-and-Blue series rival Long Beach State used an unearned run in the second inning and a three-run ninth to claim a 4-0 victory.

It was the first time UCI had been shut out in 115 games, dating back to a 5-0 loss to visiting Long Beach State on April 12, 2015.

The Anteaters (14-21, 2-5 in conference) have lost 10 of their last 12 and dipped seven games below .500 for the first time since opening the 2015 season with seven straight losses.

UCI managed just three hits, matching its fewest of the season, against Long Beach starter Darren McCaughan, who allowed only one runner to reach second base.

UCI wasted a strong start by junior Louis Raymond, who struck out a career-best seven, the most by a UCI pitcher this season. He was charged with three runs, two earned, in eight-plus innings and lowered his earned-run average to 4.47.

Raymond allowed no earned runs through eight innings, before Daniel Jackson launched his first dinger of the season on the first pitch of the ninth. Two singles followed, prompting a call to the bullpen after a season-high 112 pitches.

No. 12-ranked Long Beach (23-13, 8-2) added two RBI singles off two relievers to widen its lead.

Raymond took the loss, falling to 3-4, while McCaughan upped his record to 5-2 with his third complete game of the season.

McCaughan struck out five, walked none and lowered his ERA to 2.26.

“I was real happy with the way Raymond pitched,” UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said. “He threw virtually a shutout through eigth innings and he was really good.

“[McCaughan] was spectacular,” Gillespiue said. “He can really pitch and he did really pitch.”

Ryan Johnston led off the UCI third inning with a single through the left side and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Dailin Lee. But Alex Guenette struck out and EvanCassolato looped a soft liner to third base.

Mikey Duarte and Adrian Damla had two-out singles in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, and Johnson was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fifth.

UCI junior designated hitter Keston Huira, who came in leading the Big West with a .423 average, went hitless in four at-bats, halting his 12-game hitting streak.

UCI is playing without senior outfielder Adam Alcantara (hamstring), freshman infielder Christian Koss (back muscle), and sophomore catcher Matt Reitano (lost for the season after reinjuring his knee), Gillespie said.

Ramsey Romano was four for four for the Dirtbags, for whom Fountain Valley High product Brock Lundquist and Jarren Duran both had three hits.

Lundquist had a single, double and triple.

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.

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Big West Conference

Long Beach State 4, UC Irvine 0

SCORE BY INNINGS

LBSU 010 000 003 – 4 13 0

UCI 000 000 000 – 0 3 1

McCaughan and Banuelos; Raymond, Pallante (9), Martin (9) and Guenette. W – McCaughan, 5-2. L – Raymond, 3-4. 2B – Duran (LB), Lundquist (LB) . 3B – Lundquist (LB). HR – Jackson (LB).

barry.faulkner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5