Baseball: ‘Eaters subdue Pilots
The UC Irvine baseball team couldn’t buy a clutch hit on Friday. But the Anteaters invested in some quality outs to earn a 3-1 nonconference triumph over visiting Portland on Friday.
UCI was one for 14 with runners in scoring position, and the lone hit in those situations, an infield single to deep shortstop, failed to drive in a run. But the ‘Eaters halted a three-game losing streak by manufacturing single runs in the first, fifth and sixth to back a solid three-man pitching performance.
UCI, which has tugged away from a decade-long reputation as a small-ball brigade, came in having produced one-third of its hits this season for extra bases. The hosts had three doubles and a triple among their nine hits against the Pilots (1-7), but only one of those factored into the scoring, as Evan Cassolato led off with a triple and came home on Keston Hiura’s soft grounder to third.
Hiura, who doubled twice to give him 11 extra-base hits among his 14 hits this season, drove in UCI’s second run with a sacrifice fly to center field.
UCI, which left 11 runners on base, finalized its scoring when Christian Koss delivered a squeeze bunt to plate Adrian Damla from third in the sixth.
The visitors were zero for 10 with runners in scoring position against UCI starter Louis Raymond, Jordan Bocko and closer Calvin Faucher.
Raymond did not allow an earned run in six-plus innings, during which he allowed five hits. He earned the win and improved to 2-1.
Bocko struck out five in his two innings and Faucher struck out the side in the ninth to record his third save.
The last eight Portland outs came via strikeouts as UCI pitchers fanned 12 in the game.
“I was pleased with the way we pitched, considering the way we’ve pitched,” UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said.
UCI came in with a team earned-run average of 8.46 and Gillespie said senior ace left-hander Cameron Bishop could be out at least another month with an oblique sprain.
Hiura, how hitting .485, upped his RBI total to 17, more than double the second- and third-leading ‘Eaters combined in that department (15).
Koss was two for three with the aforementioned squeeze RBI and now has nine RBIs with just six hits this season.
Freshman Devin Pettengill came off the bench to go two for two and Cassolato finished two for five as the ‘Eaters produced nine hits.
The two teams resume the three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m.
Nonconference
UC Irvine 3, Portland 1
SCORE BY INNINGS
Portland 000 100 000 – 1 6 1
UCI 100 011 00x – 3 9 1
Miller, Muller (6), Baker (7) and Budnick, Kopas (7); Raymond, Bocko (7), Faucher (9) and Guenette, Reitano (7). W – Raymond, 2-1. L – Miller, 0-3. Sv – Faucher (3). 2B – Damla (UCI), Hiura (UCI) 2, Budnick (P). 3B – Cassolato (UCI).
Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5
