March 15, 2009

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. --- Casey Stevenson's two-out bloop single eluded diving right-fielder Drew Allain and drove in Maverick Olivares from second to give No. 10 UC Irvine a 5-4 series win against Tulane Sunday at Anteater Ballpark. It was the second time Stevenson came up with the winning hit this season as the junior hit a bases-loaded walk-off single against South Alabama last week for a 6-5 decision.

UC Irvine (10-5) watched a 3-0 lead disappear following a four-run eighth by the Green Wave (11-7). The Anteaters broke through the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Cory Olson to lead off the inning, his second round-tripper of the season. UCI added a run in the frame as pinch hitter Jordan Leyland drove a 2-0 pitch up the middle to score Ben Orloff, who had reached second on a two-base error by Tulane. A wild pitch by Tulane reliever Mason Griffin yielded an Anteater run in the sixth for the three-run lead.

However, Tulane responded in the eighth with three consecutive one-out singles off reliever Eric Pettis to get on the board, 3-1. After securing the second out, third baseman Ryan Mistich gave the Green Wave the 4-3 lead with a three-run shot over the left-field wall, his first of the season.

The Anteaters punched back in the ninth. Jeff Cusick drew a walk to lead off the inning and then gave way to pinch-runner Sammy Donabedian. Oliveras singled to left and Francis Larson drove a pitch up the middle to score Donabedian for the tying run. Reliever Preston Claiborne entered in relief for Nick Pepitone and secured the second out before facing Stevenson.

UCI starter Crosby Slaught gave the team a career-high performance of 5.1 scoreless innings and five strikeouts. The right-hander walked just one while scattering five hits in the no-decision. Junior Cory Hamilton pitched 1.2 shutout innings, striking out one, walking two and yielding one hit. Pettis picked up the win to improve to 2-0.

Tulane starter Josh Zeid held UCI to two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out four in 4.2 innings. Pepitone fell to 0-3 after giving up two runs in 1/3 innings.

Leyland, Larson, Stevenson and Olson led UCI with two hits and an RBI apiece.

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