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Baseball:
Ben Orloff Delivers Walk-Off Hit As UC Irvine Defeats CS Fullerton, 3-2
April 5, 2008 IRVINE, Calif. --- Shortstop Ben Orloff drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12th to push UC Irvine to a 3-2 win over Cal State Fullerton Saturday at Anteater Ballpark. The win evened the conference series as the Anteaters climbed to 20-4 overall and 3-2 in the Big West. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 12th, Anteater Sean Madigan hit a single to left to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to second on the bunt by catcher Aaron Lowenstein. Ollie Linton followed with a hit up the middle to score Madigan, tying the game. Linton stole second and was waved home on Orloff's single through the right side. Titan outfielder Jeff Newman came up with it cleanly but catcher Matt Powell was unable to hold on to the ball as Linton scored the winning run to give UCI its first extra-inning victory this season. The Anteaters led 1-0 for most of the game, riding the arm of pitcher Bryce Stowell, who held the Titans scoreless and yielded just four hits in seven innings. Stowell tied a season-high seven strikeouts and walked four before handing the ball off to reliever Tom Calahan in the eighth. Calahan and Christian Bergman combined for a shutout inning. In the Titan ninth, Newman greeted closer Eric Pettis with a single to left and advanced to second on the sacrifice bunt. Pinch hitter Jon Wilhite drew a walk and Powell singled to load the bases. Fellhauer struck out on a pitch in the dirt that got away from Lowenstein, allowing Newman to score and tie the game at 1-1.
The Titans took the lead in the top of the 12th on an RBI single from Corey Jones and put runners on first and second with two outs but Pettis struck out Newman to end the inning.
Linton, who was 3 for 5 with the game-tying RBI, became UCI's career leader in stolen bases with his 52nd nabbed bag, which he collected in the first inning. Ryan Fisher's drove in Jeff Cusick to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth. Pettis picked up the win to improve to 2-0 after striking out three and giving up two runs on five hits. Titan starter Daniel Renken struck out four and allowed one run on four hits in 5.1 innings. Adam Jorgenson fell to 1-1 after giving up two runs in 3.1 innings. |
