June 16, 2007

Box Score |  Quotes

OMAHA, Neb. --- Arizona State's Ike Davis hit a solo shot off starter Scott Gorgen in the bottom of the eighth as the Sun Devils edged past UC Irvine with a 5-4 win Saturday at Rosenblatt Stadium. The loss dropped UC Irvine to 45-16-1 overall while Arizona State improved to 49-13.

The loss was UC Irvine's first in the postseason and snapped a six game win streak for the Anteaters. It was also Gorgen's first loss in five starts as the sophomore fell to 12-3 on the season. The right-hander pitched seven innings and struck out nine to claim second in the UCI single-season records with 115 strikeouts.

Petersen, the only Anteater with multiple hits on the day, batted 2 for 3 with two RBI and a run scored while Sean Madigan and Ollie Linton each drove ina run on 1 for 3 hitting. Reliever Dylan Axelrod struck out one in 2/3 innings to close out the game.

Arizona State took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a three-run home run by Matt Spencer, his ninth of the season.

However, UC Irvine answered in the top of fourth, stringing together five straight hits off pitcher Matt Leake. Senior Cody Cipriano was hit by the pitch with one out and Matt Morris slapped a single through the right side to put runners on first and third. Outfielder Bryan Petersen laced a triple to left field to put the Anteaters on the board and crossed the plate on Madigan's double to left. Linton followed with a single up the middle for an RBI to give UCI a 4-3 lead.

Leake gave up four runs on six hits in seven innings and did not figure in the decision. Jason Jarvis picked up the win, improving to 2-2, striking out three and walking one in two innings of work.

Spencer topped the team with three runs batted in on two hits while Eric Sogard went 3 for 4. Davis finished the day 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

UC Irvine will face Cal State Fullerton Monday at 11:00 a.m. PDT in an elimination game that will be carried by ESPN2 and KUCI/88.9 FM.