May 10, 2009
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - With one out an two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers lined into a painfully close double play to end the game and squelch the rally as they fell 6-5 to No. 1 UC Irvine on Sunday, May 10.
With the loss, Pacific fell to 18-28 on the year and 8-13 in the Big West. UC Irvine improved to 37-11 and 17-1 in conference.
After RHP Hunter Carnevale (Roseville, Calif.) dazzled on the mound, shutting out the Anteaters over 6.2 innings of work to close out the game, the Tigers trailed by one heading into the bottom of the ninth, 6-5.
Freshman Josh Simms (La Mesa, Calif.) hit a long single past shortstop Ben Orloff to put the first runner aboard with no outs in the frame. However, junior Ben Gorang (Turlock, Calif.) hit into a fielder's choice to the pitcher, Eric Pettis, that could have turned into a double play before Gorang beat it out. Sophomore Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) was the next hero to step up to the plate for Pacific, as his double put two runners in scoring position as Gorang went to third.
But then senior Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.) smacked an 0-1 pitch right into Orloff's glove for the first out. Longmire was cheating over to third on the base paths and he dove back to second base as Orloff flipped the ball to Casey Stevenson just at the same time as Longmire dove back. The play was close enough that it would have only resulted in one out to keep the rally alive, but Longmire was ruled out as the second half of the double play to end the game in heartbreaking fashion.
Pacific started out the game trailing UC Irvine 1-0, but came back and stayed with the nation's top-ranked team throughout the entire contest. In the bottom of the first Longmire connected for his first of two doubles to start off the Tigers' offense. Centanni then grounded out to second for one out, moving Longmire over to third. Sophomore J.B. Brown (Alvin, Texas) followed that up with another ground out, but earned an RBI as Longmire came home to score and tie the game 1-1.
The Anteaters then came back for three runs in the top of the second off of starter LHP Jamie Niley (Elk Grove, Calif.), as they took a 4-1 lead. Pacific again came back sparked by yet another double, as senior Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) also doubled to lead off the inning. Wideman hit his 21st double this season, tying him for the best all-time single season doubles hitter in Pacific history. He now has sole possession of fourth place on the all-time career doubles list with 42 in his three years with the Tigers.
Wideman followed up his record-tying performance at the plate by advancing to third when junior Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) grounded out to first. One more out later, with two in the inning, Walker came home to bring in Pacific's second run off a wild pitch during Simms' at-bat. Pacific then trailed 4-2, but could not score any more that inning.
UC Irvine came across the plate two more times in the third to score all of its runs in the first three innings, leading 6-2. However, the Tigers would have to wait two more innings before they could come back and cut the deficit, plating two more of their own in the fifth for a final 6-5 score.
The Tigers next return to action on Wednesday, May 13 when they travel to Stanford at 5:30 p.m.
