May 13, 2007

Box Score

Stockton, Calif. - Leading 8-3 in the top of the ninth inning, the Pacific baseball team surrendered eight runs in the ninth inning to No. 13 UC Irvine to fall 11-8 on Sunday, May 13.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 13-40 on the season and 1-17 in the Big West Conference. UC Irvine, meanwhile, moved to 34-14-1 overall and 10-5 in conference play.

UC Irvine lit the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning as UC Irvine put runners at second and third on back-to-back singles and a Pacific error. The Tigers, however, limited the UC Irvine damage to just one run as junior Jason Haar (San Diego, Calif.) induced an RBI groundout, a line out and struck out Sean Madigan to end the inning.

Haar led the Tigers back in the bottom of the second as he drilled a one-out single into center field. Haar went to second on a wild pitch, then scored on a two-out single from freshman Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.).

Pacific struck again in the third, this time notching two runs on three hits. Back-to-back doubles from sophomore Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) and freshman Matt Fuson (Lodi, Calif.) gave Pacific the lead. With two outs in the inning, junior Justin Baum (La Mesa, Calif.) blooped an RBI single into left to score Fuson.

The Tigers extended their lead to 4-1 behind an RBI single from Oliveira in the fourth and Walker delivered a two-run single to in the fifth to give Pacific a 6-1 edge.

UC Irvine responded with two runs in the top of the sixth on two hits and a costly Pacific error.

Leading 6-3, Baum notched the Tigers' final two runs of the game in the bottom of the seventh with his eighth home run of the seaoson. Before Baum's blast, sophomore Zach Chamberlin (San Rafael, Calif.) collected a single to extend his hitting streak to 20 games, then Baum blasted a 2-1 pitch over the left-center field wall.

Unfortunately the Tigers were unable to close the game as the first eight UC Irvine batters in the ninth inning reached base, highlighted by a pinch-hit grand slam home run by Jeff Cusick that gave the Anteaters a 10-8 lead.

UC Irvine reliever Tom Calahan (2-0) earned the victory with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Pacific senior Jake Wild (1-9) suffered the loss as he allowed three runs on three hits without retiring a batter.

The Anteaters' Blair Erickson earned his 13th save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.

The Tigers return to the diamond on Friday, May 18 as Pacific travels to Stanford, Calif. to take on the Stanford Cardinal at 6 p.m.