April 10, 2011

Box Score

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RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Pacific pounded out a season-high 21 hits as the Tigers posted a 9-3 win at UC Riverside Sunday in game three of a Big West baseball series. Senior OF Matt Carvutto (Poway, Calif.) turned in a four-hit day at the plate and junior DH Brett Christopher (Livermore, Calif.) added three hits and a pair of RBI on the afternoon.

Every spot in the Tigers order had a hit as seven Pacific players posted multi-hit days. Senior 1B Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.) turned in a three-for-six day, while junior LF Daniel Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) added a three-for-five day with an RBI. Junior C Aaron Hassel (Tarzana, Calif.) added two hits with a run and an RBI, while sophomore 2B Tyger Pederson (Palo Alto, Calif.) scored a pair of runs while picking up two hits to keep his hot streak going, while junior RF Allen Riley (Fresno, Calif.) chipped in a pair of doubles and an RBI.

Pacific scored seven runs in the final four innings to seize control of a game which was a pitching battle early in the contest. Senior RHP Jake Hummel (Peoria, Ariz.) picked up his fourth win of the season, allowing two earned in five and a third innings pitched. Junior Chris Larsen (Moline, Ill.) earned his second save, entering in the sixth in a 4-2 ballgame and going the rest of the way. He allowed one earned run, retiring 10 of 14 batters faced, including nine in a row at one point.

Pederson opened the game with a single through the right side, and after Riley ripped a double down the left field line, Carvutto delivered a one-out single to right for a 2-0 Pacific lead.

UC Riverside answered with two runs in the bottom of the second off Hummel, as DH Kyle Boudreau singled with one out, and after catcher Bart Stepanovich walked, 2B Eddie Young poked a run-scoring single to right field. Trever Hairgrove followed with a single down the left field line as the Highlanders tied the game 2-2.

Hummel and Riverside starter Trevor Frank matched zeros over the next three innings until the sixth, when Christopher singled with one out, and Hassel placed a hit-and-run single perfectly into the vacated hole at second base. Frank (1-1) departed after 5.1 innings pitched, having allowed 10 hits with two strikeouts. But Pacific greeted RP Mike Wilford with a single from junior SS Josh Simms (La Mesa, Calif.) to load the bases. Pederson gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to left, and Riley added his second double of the day for a 4-2 lead, with all four runs being charged to Frank.

Riverside threatened in the sixth, as Hummel walked Stepanovich to open the inning, and after a hard-hit ball to second base was turned into an out by Pederson, Hummel departed after 114 pitches.

Larsen entered and after allowing a single, picked up a groundball out from 3B Ryan Goetz and then punched out three-hole hitter Justin Shults to end the inning. The RHP for Pacific posted zeroes in the seventh and eighth, retiring all six batters faced.

The Tigers added two more runs in the seventh, as Carvutto doubled to right and Christopher added a double into the right center field gap. Hassel singled home Christopher to provide Larsen with a 6-2 lead.

In the eighth, Carvutto singled and after 3B Dustin Torchio (Santa Cruz, Calif.) singled, Johnston ripped a run-scoring single to left. Christopher provided an RBI single up the middle to plate Torchio with the eighth run.

Pacific tacked on another in the top of the ninth, as Pederson singled, Riley walked and Martin lined a single to centerfield.

Larsen was finally touched for a run as Goetz ended Larsen's run of nine consecutive outs with a double. Tony Nix drove him home with a two-out double down the left field line, but Larsen coaxed a pop up to short by David Andriese to end the ball game.

The Tigers improved to 10-18 overall, 2-4 in the Big West, while UC Riverside falls to 3-3 in the Big West and 14-12 overall.

Pacific is back in action on Tuesday, with a 5:30 p.m. game at Stanford. The Tigers, who are 3-1 versus the Pac-10 this season, will be facing their second ranked Pac-10 team in eight days after knocking off No. 13 Cal last Tuesday, 7-4.