Arizona completes the sweep

The Irvine Anteaters avoided their third straight shutout, but it was

small comfort as they fell to Arizona, 7-1, Sunday on the UCI campus.

UCI jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning on

first baseman Mark Wagner’s RBI single to score Jon Horwitz.

It was the only run in a 27-inning drought for the Anteaters in

their set with Arizona, having lost on Friday and Saturday, 6-0 and

3-0.

Arizona starter Richie Gardner faced the minimum in the next three

innings and went 7 1/3, striking out six and scattering six hits

before giving way to reliever Mark Worrell.

Arizona’s offense went quietly in the first and second innings,

but loaded the bases for Moises Duran, who hit a home run to give his

squad the 4-1 lead in the top of the third.

Arizona added a run in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings to

improve to 6-3 overall. The Wildcats pounded out a dozen hits in all

off a half dozen Anteater pitchers.

UCI starter Michael Koehler fell to 0-1 on the season after giving

up the four runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. Wagner, who was

responsible for UCI’s lone run, finished 2-3.

Horwitz, the Anteaters’ leadoff hitter and center fielder, had two

hits in four at-bats.

The Anteaters will travel up to Fresno State Tuesday for a midweek

nonconference game, starting at 6:35 p.m.

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Nonconference

Arizona 7, UCI 1

Score by Innings

Arizona 004 100 110 -- 7 12 1 UCI 100 000 000 -- 1 8 1

Gardner, Worrell (8) and Mercado;

Koehler, French (4), Krise (9), Alstot

(9), Raulinaitis (9) and Werhun. W --

Gardner, 2-0. L -- Koehler, 0-1. 2B --

Decater (A). HR -- Duran (A)

*--*