No. 11 UC Irvine Loses in Extra Innings to Kansas State
April 23, 2008
MANHATTAN, Kan. --- Justin Bloxom hit a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th to lift Kansas State to a 9-7 win over No. 11 UC Irvine Wednesday at Tointon Stadium. The extra-inning loss, UCI's first of the season, dropped the Anteaters to 25-10 overall while the Wildcats climbed to 19-21.
The game-winning home run put an end to a come-from-behind effort that saw the Anteaters chip into an early five-run deficit and was capped by Brock Bardeen's pinch-hit two-run blast in the top of the eighth to tie the game at 7-7.
Closer Eric Pettis suffered his first collegiate loss (3-1) after giving up two runs on two hits in 2.2 innings while striking out four. Starter Daniel Bibona allowed five runs in the first inning but did not factor in the decision. Noel Avison added two scoreless innings and Bryce Stowell added 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Kansas State scored five in the bottom of the first but the Anteaters cut into the lead in the second on Josh Tavelli's bloop double to score Dillon Bell, who had been hit by the pitch to reach base. The Anteaters closed the gap to 5-3, adding two runs in the third on RBI hits from Ollie Linton and Jeff Cusick. Trailing 6-3 in the sixth, Bell delivered a run-scoring single to right to plate Francis Larson and Linton's sacrifice fly in the seventh brought the Anteaters to within one at 6-5.
Kansas State continued to stay just out of the reach of the Anteaters, pushing across a single run in the seventh to lead 7-5 until Bardeen's round-tripper would knot the score.
UCI was led by Linton and Bardeen, who had two RBI apiece while Larson was 2 for 6 with a runs scored. Linton had a stolen base to tie the UCI single-season record.
Bloxom led the Wildcats with four RBI, going 2 for 6 with two runs scored while pitcher Thomas Rooke picked up the win after holding the Anteaters hitless in the final two innings.
