Ryan Fisher Lifts No. 16 UC Irvine to Series Win Over Sacramento State
March 14, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- UC Irvine's Ryan Fisher drove a 2-0 offering from Andrew Galvan over the right-field fence to give UCI the eventual game-winning run in a 4-3, 10-inning victory over Sacramento State Sunday at Hornet Field. The decision gave the Anteaters the series win as the team improved to 9-6 overall.
UCI trailed early in the game. The Anteaters put runners on first and third to lead off the second. Drew Hillman drove a 1-0 pitch deep to left field but a perfectly timed leap by outfielder Jake Chilton robbed Hillman of a home run and UCI would have to settle for the sacrifice fly and the 1-0 lead.
The Hornets answered, stringing together three consecutive hits in the fourth off starter Eric Pettis, tying the game at 1-1. With runners on first and third, Josh Powers stole second on a ball in the dirt. Catcher Francis Larson blocked the ball and then threw down to second, hitting Casey Stevenson in the chest and the ball squirted away, allowing both runners to score.
The Anteaters struck again in the seventh as Stevenson singled in Tommy Reyes, who drew a walk and took second on the balk by Galvan, shaving the lead to 3-2.
UCI then tied it in the top of the ninth. With two outs, Larson and Brian Hernandez came up with consecutive singles. Ronnie Shaeffer followed with a single to right to score pinch-runner Cory Olson and a fielding error by Trevor Bloom allowed the runners to take second and third. However, Galvan retired Dillon Bell to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Hornets put runners on first and third with one out. Pettis intentionally walked Kirby Young but then induced a grounder to third. Hernandez cleanly fielded the ball, threw down to Jonathan Hurst to get the force out at home and Hurst completed the double-play at first to end the threat.
Following Fisher's home run in the 10th, the Anteaters faced another Hornet rally in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Sacramento State's Blake Miller singled. Kyle Baskett drove a full-count offering from Kyle Necke up the middle. Sean Madigan came up throwing and threw the ball to Hernandez in an effort to get Miller but Hernandez caught Baskett between first and second base and connected with Jeff Cusick to tag a sliding Baskett in time for the final out.
Pettis improved to 2-0 after pitching a season-high nine innings and striking out four while allowing one three runs (one earned) on six hits. Necke picked up his second save after yielding a pair of hits in the 10th.
Hernandez led the Anteater offense with a 3 for 5 performance while Shaeffer, Fisher and Stevenson each had two hits and an RBI.
Galvan got the loss, falling to 1-1 after allowing three runs on seven hits in four innings. Starter Jose Ramirez pitched six innings, limiting UCI to a run on fie hits. Bloom paced the Sac State offense with three hits.
