No. 16 Anteaters Split Double-Header Against Sacramento State
March 13, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- No. 16 UC Irvine (8-6) split its double-header against Sacramento State (5-7) today at Hornet Field. The Anteaters lost a 2-1 contest in the opening game and then knotted the series with a 5-3 win.
In the first game, starter Anteater All-American Daniel Bibona hurled eight innings, striking out 10 while walking one. The lefty gave up a run on two hits but came away with a no-decision after Sacramento State tied the game in the ninth.
Second baseman Casey Stevenson put UCI on the board with a solo home run off Hornet starter Jesse Darrah in the first but the Anteaters would be held scoreless the rest of the way. UCI had an opportunity to score in fifth, loading the bases with one out but Darrah retired the final two batters to escape the jam. The Anteaters also put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh but Darrah escaped again inducing a double-play grounder to second to hold UCI at bay.
The Hornets, who had managed just two base runners in seven innings against Bibona tied the game in the eighth on a squeeze play by Blake Miller. Bibona gave way to Evan Brock who walked the first three batters. Andy Lines entered in relief and his 1-2 pitch bounced in the dirt away from Larson to allow Derrick Chung to score from third.
Darrah improved to 1-2 after pitching a complete game, striking out seven and giving up one run on seven hits.
Brock suffered his first loss of the season at 2-1 after yielding the game-winner.
Game 2
In the second game of the double-header, preseason All-American Christian Bergman pitched his second career complete game en route to recording his first win of the season. Bergman struck out six and did not walk a batter while giving up three runs and scattering seven hits.
The Anteaters jumped on starter Tommy Elrod, scoring two runs in the first on a double by Jordan Leyland to plate Ronnie Shaeffer and an RBI single by Ryan Fisher for the 2-0 advantage.
Shaeffer delivered in the second with a double to drive in Stevenson, who singled and advanced to second on a failed pickoff.
Jordan Fox increased the UCI lead to 4-0 in the third with a single to right to drive in Fisher, who drew a walk and took second on the balk by reliever Logan Todd.
The Hornets cut the lead to one at 4-3 in the sixth. After Blake Miller singled to lead off the inning, Trevor Bloom came up with a two-out single and Kirby Young followed with a two-run double before Bergman would strike out Derrick Ching to end the inning.
Francis Larson gave the Anteaters the insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth to plate Stevenson.
Elrod fell to 0-1 with the loss after giving up three runs on three hits in 1.2 innings.
