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Baseball:
No. 13 UC Irvine Rallies to Defeat Pacific
May 11, 2007 STOCKTON, Calif. --- UC Irvine scored seven runs in the final two innings to turn a 6-5 deficit into a 12-7 win over Pacific Friday in a Big West Conference game at Klein Family Field. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Anteaters as the team improved to 32-14-1 and 8-5 in conference play. Pacific fell to 13-38 (1-15 Big West) overall. Anteater outfielder Matt Morris, who did not start the game, was the catalyst in the eight inning, lacing a pinch-hit, bases-loaded double to left-field off reliever David Rowse to bring in three runs and give the Anteaters an 8-7 lead. The Anteaters then capitalized on four Tiger errors in the ninth to widen the margin to 12-7. Centerfielder Ollie Linton opened the frame with a bunt single and reached second as catcher Aaron Lowenstein's sacrifice bunt was mishandled by first baseman Brett Manning. Third baseman Tyler Vaughn then reached second on a two-base error, allowing Linton and Lowenstein to score. Shortstop Ben Orloff extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a double down the right-field line to plate Vaughn and took third on Pacific's third error of the inning. Cody Cipriano and Morris were both hit by the pitch and designated hitter Jeff Cusick hit a one-out sacrifice fly to center to plate Orloff and cap the scoring.
Linton had a career-high five hits as the redshirt sophomore went 5 for 5, including his conference-leading sixth triple. Cipriano belted his team-high 10th home run to cut into a two-run lead in the UCI seventh and finished the day 3 for 4 with four runs scored. First baseman Zach Robinson went 2 for 3 with an RBI to add to the Anteater offense.
UCI starter Scott Gorgen struggled in the early innings, giving up six earned runs on nine hits while striking out five in five innings. Senior Dylan Axelrod hurled three-innings of one-run baseball to earn the win and improve to 3-3 on the season while Eric Pettis pitched a shutout inning in the ninth to close out the game. Pacific was paced by Matt Fuson and Mike Walker, who each had three hits. Walker and Zach Chamberlin drove in a pair of runs apiece. The Tigers took the early lead, scoring four runs in the first three innings, highlighted by a two-run home run from Chamberlin in the first and a solo shot by Walker in the second. Starter Cole Akins gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings but did not figure in the decision. Jake Wild was hit with the loss to fall to 1-8 after giving up three runs on two hits in 1.1 innings. The series continues Saturday at 1:00 p.m. |
