UCI loses slugfest
The pink embroidered trim on the UC Irvine baseball cap logo Saturday fit the slogan “Think Pink” to promote breast cancer awareness. It could have also symbolized blood rare, as in the amount of times a game at notoriously pitcher-friendly Anteater Ballpark included double-figure scoring from both teams.
The ‘Eaters’ 12-10 nonconference loss to Tennessee, in fact, marked only the second time it had occurred in the 14-year history of the facility that was christened in 2002. That’s twice in 406 games at the spacious confines that usually leave hitters lamenting the yard’s existence.
It had been 134 games since it happened last — a 15-12 setback to UC Riverside on May 22, 2010.
But unless the UCI pitching staff, which dominated during a doubleheader sweep of the Volunteers on Friday, can shore up its situation behind Friday starter Elliot Surrey and Saturday starter Matt Esperza, the wait for another double-double may not be long.
Pitching, however, wasn’t the only issue for both teams, who split 34 hits evenly and combined for seven errors, five by the Vols.
Five of the seven UCI pitchers were scored upon, including senior starter Evan Manarino, who was tagged for eight runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Freshman Alonzo Garcia had the lone pristine pitching line for the hosts (3-7), allowing no hits and no runs in 1 1/3 innings. Garcia, who has not allowed a hit or a run now in his 3 1/3 innings as a collegian, entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth and stopped the bleeding with a strikeout.
The first two of the four Tennessee pitchers hemorrhaged a little as well, as UCI scored in five of the first six innings. UCI answered a three-run first inning by the visitors with a four-run first to take its only lead.
Tennessee (4-4), coached by former UCI head man Dave Serrano, had its 10-7 cushion erased with a three-run UCI sixth inning. But that was it for the Anteaters, who left 11 runners on base, including at least one in each of the first seven innings.
Senior Sam Moore, an All-American who led the nation with 23 saves last season but stumbled down the stretch and has yet to regain his form in 2015, absorbed the loss. Moore, who allowed a run on two hits in his one inning, is 0-2 to account for half of the bullpen’s losses.
“That was not the way Manarino pitched his first two starts [two earned runs in 12 2/3 combined innings at Fresno State and Cal, the latter producing a victory Feb. 22 to halt the program’s six-game, season-opening losing streak],” UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said. “But that is exactly the way the bullpen pitched at Fresno and Cal. So, you can see the grief.”
Gillespie was irked sufficiently to deliver a stern, 25-minute postgame address to his team. He later explained that the duration of his verbiage was necessary to cover all the areas in which his players did not live up to his expectations.
Gillespie said his notation on miscues, that typically needs about the space of a three-by-five card, filled an eight-by-10 sheet on Saturday.
“I’m trying to get away from using the term little things, because I don’t think there are any little things,” Gillespie said. “So now we have taken to calling them details. And there were a lot of them today.”
Gillespie, however, said he was pleased with his team’s ability to grind and continue to chip into Tennessee leads.
There was a lot to like, offensively, for the hosts, who by virtue of Friday’s sweep, earned their first series victory of the season.
Freshman designated hitter Cole Kreuter was three for four and scored twice, while junior shortstop Mikey Duarte, sophomore right fielder Adam Alcantara and junior first baseman Mitchell Holland also had three hits apiece for UCI.
Alcantara scored twice and drove in a run, while Duarte and Holland each had one run and one RBI.
Freshman center fielder Keston Hiura and junior left fielder Grant Palmer both had two hits and scored a run. Palmer added an RBI.
Sophomore second baseman John Brontsema singled in a run and junior Jonathan Munoz had two RBIs without the benefit of a hit for the ‘Eaters.
Nine Tennessee players had hits and six of them had at least two.
UCI returns to action Tuesday at home against San Diego State at 6:30 p.m.
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Nonconference
Tennessee 12, UC Irvine 10
SCORE BY INNINGS
UT 303 202 101 –12 17 5
UCI 401 113 000 – 10 17 2
Owenby, Kane (4), Martin (6), Lenstrohm and Houser, Santiago (8); Manarino, Agramonte, Garcia, Fielding, Vetrovec, Moore, Sparling and McClanahan. W – Martin, 1-0. L – Moore, 0-2. Sv – Lenstrohm (1) . 2B – Simcox (UT), Stewart (UT), Duarte (UCI) 2, Rodgers (UT), Kreuter (UCI), Leftridge (UT) 2. 3B – Senzel (UT), Holland (UCI), Leftridge (UT). HR – Plunkett (UT).
Twitter: BarryFaulkner5