Feb. 20, 2010

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- No. 7 UC Irvine scored six runs with two outs and capitalized on LMU errors to win the series with a 9-6 decision Saturday at George C. Page Stadium. The Anteaters (2-0) will entertain the Lions (0-2) in the series finale at Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark Sunday.

The Anteaters trailed early as LMU's Jonathan Johnson solo home run off starter Christian Bergman to lead off the bottom of the first. LMU tacked on a run in the second as Johnson delivered again with an RBI single to score Joe Vierra.

Sophomore Ronnie Shaeffer gave UCI the 3-2 lead in the top of the third hitting a two-out fast ball from Ramiro Carreon over the left-field fence, driving in Sean Madigan and Tommy Reyes on the round-tripper.

LMU struck again in the bottom of the inning as Alex Guthrie hit his first home run, a two-run shot to left, to give the Lions the 4-3 edge and Johnson drove in his third run of the day with a single up the middle in the fourth to score Vierra for the 5-3 advantage.

A failed pickoff throw to first by Carreon in the UCI sixth allowed Jeff Cusick to advance to second and Madigan knocked Carreon out of the game with a two-out double to right to score Cusick. Carreon gave way to Xavier Esquivel, who looked to be out of the inning when inducing a grounder to short but Shon Roe's throw pulled Guthrie off the first base and Madigan beat the throw to home to plate, tying run at 5-5.

The Anteaters tacked on two runs in the seventh as Shaeffer's hard single to left was mishandled by Vierra, allowing Stevenson to score from first and giving UCI the go-ahead run.

UCI plated an unearned run in the eighth and Francis Larson homered over the Mikos Blue Monster in the top of the ninth to cap the scoring for the Anteaters.

Matt Summers (1-0) earned the win for the Anteaters, pitching three scoreless innings, striking out four and scattering three hits. Kyle Necke picked up his first save of the season, giving up a run on one hits in 1.1 innings. Bergman allowed five earned runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings in the no decision.

Shaeffer led UCI with three RBI, going 2 for 4 with two runs scored while Larson and Madigan each had three hits and an RBI in the win.

Carreon allowed five runs, three earned in 5.2 innings while Esquivel fell to 0-1 with the loss after yielding two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings.

Johnson was 4 for 4 with three RBI to pace the Lion offense.

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