April 17, 2011

Box Score

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STOCKTON, Calif. - A six-run seventh inning by the No. 17 UC Irvine Anteaters handed the Pacific baseball team a 13-7 loss in game three of a Big West series Sunday at Klein Family Field. Junior RF Allen Riley (Fresno, Calif.) went three-for-five with three runs batted in, while junior LF Daniel Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) turned in two hits, including a three-run home run for the Tigers.

After taking game two to split the first two games of the series, the UC Irvine Anteaters, ranked No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, posted 20 hits to take game three.

Pacific opened to a 4-0 lead in the first, as sophomore 2B Dustin Torchio (Santa Cruz, Calif.) singled with one out and senior DH/RHP Matt Carvutto (Poway, Calif.) doubled to left center. After an intentional walk and an RBI groundout from Riley, Johnston crushed a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for his third home run of the year and a 4-0 Pacific lead.

UC Irvine picked up a run back in the second on back-to-back singles from LF Drew Hillman and CF Christian Ramirez, and after a fielder's choice set up first and third, C Ronnie Shaeffer singled to right center to cut Pacific's lead to 4-1.

In the third, the Anteaters rallied for three to tie the game as SS D.J. Crumlich doubled, and following a walk to RF Sean Madigan, Hillman doubled home Crumlich. Ramirez and DH Jonathan Hurst added two consecutive two-out singles before Tigers starter Jake Hummel (Peoria, Ariz.) got out of the inning.

The Tigers took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the frame on a walk by Carvutto and a double down the first base line by Riley. UC Irvine answered back in the fourth with a solo home run from 1B Jordan Leyland to knot the game up at 5-5.

In the seventh, the game got away from Pacific as Hillman and Ramirez posted back-to-back singles. Hurst laid down a bunt, but the throw to third from Hummel pulled Torchio off the bag to load the bases. After Hummel struck out the next batter, 2B Tommy Reyes pushed a bunt up the first base line, but a late cover at first and an errant throw allowed the two runs to come in and put the Anteaters up 7-5. Junior RHP Jared Wagner (Danville, Calif.) replaced Hummel, and Leyland poked a single to right field for two more runs. After a groundout and a walk, 3B Brian Hernandez hit a grounder to short, but the throw to second was dropped for the Tigers third error of the inning as Leyland scored to make it 10-5. Carvutto came in to pitch and Hillman, the 10th batter of the inning, doubled to left to plate another run before Carvutto got a line out from Ramirez to end the frame.

The Tigers picked up two runs back in the bottom of the seventh, as SS Josh Simms (La Mesa, Calif.) walked and 2B Tyger Pederson (Palo Alto, Calif.) singled him to third base. Torchio followed with a sacrifice fly, and after Carvutto singled, UCI replaced LHP Andy Lines with LHP Jimmy Litchfield to face senior 1B Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.). Martin singled to left field to load the bases. After an unsuccessful hidden ball trick attempt at third base, Riley singled to left to cut the deficit to 11-7. But Litchfield posted a strikeout and then coaxed a ground out to end the inning.

In the eighth, UC Irvine tacked on a run via a single by Shaeffer, a groundout and an RBI single from Leyland, who was then caught in a run down between first and second to end the inning.

The final Anteaters' run came in the ninth via a pair of singles and an outfield error.

Hummel, who had allowed four earned runs or fewer in seven of his previous starts, took the loss to fall to 4-3 on the year. He allowed eight earned runs on 14 hits over six and a third innings while striking out seven.

Lines earned the win to improve to 3-1 on the year. He tossed two innings in relief of RHP Crosby Slaught. Lines allowed two earned runs on two hits while striking out one. Slaught lasted 4.1 innings giving up five earned runs on seven hits.

Simms finished the day three-for-three with a run scored. Torchio, Carvutto and Johnston each posted two-for-four days for Pacific, with Carvutto picking up his 15th double of the season. Johnston's home run put him into the team lead with three on the year.

UC Irvine improves to 23-9 overall, 6-3 in the Big West, while the Tigers drop to 11-21 overall, 3-6 in the Big West.

The Tigers will travel to Cal State Northridge for a three-game series starting Thursday at 3 p.m.