College Baseball: ‘Eaters extend streak
UC Irvine senior Kris Paulino lined a single to right field with one out and the bases loaded for the only run in the Anteaters’ 1-0 Big West Conference victory over Long Beach State on Friday.
Paulino’s single, only his second hit this season in 15 at-bats, produced his first run batted in in 2015. It capped a four-hit inning that allowed UCI to finish with 12 hits, two more than the Dirtbags.
It was the 14th straight win for UCI (20-10, 7-0 in conference).
Long Beach State fell to 18-11, 4-3.
With one out in the 12th, UCI senior catcher Jerry McClanahan lined a single to center. Freshman second baseman Cole Kreuter, who was two for two after entering the game in the ninth, sprayed a single to right field to put men on first and second.
Junior Grant Palmer lofted a bloop single that averted a diving attempt by right fielder Zack Rivera and loaded the bases. Before Palmer’s single, both teams were a combined zero for 18 with runners in scoring position.
Paulino laced a 2-2 pitch to spark a jubilant celebration for the hosts, who are now 14-3 at home this season.
Senior Sam Moore pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, his third in five decisions this season. Moore struck out three, allowed two hits and did not walk a batter.
After averaging just more than 11 runs in its previous five wins, UCI was stymied through 11 innings.
But the Anteaters’ pitching was equally stingy, as the two teams matched offensive futility into the 12th.
UCI starter Elliot Surrey allowed seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Long Beach State, which came in leading the nation in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.54) had the best of the pitchers’ duel through nine innings.
Dirtbags starter Kyle Friedrichs allowed four hits in eight innings, before giving way to closer Ty Provencher. After stranding two runners in the opening inning, UCI managed just one runner left on base until it left two runners in the 10th.
Junior shortstop and leadoff man Mikey Duarte opened the game with a double and added a single in the third inning to account for all the UCI hits through six frames.
Freshman right fielder Cameron Bishop doubled with one out in the seventh and advanced to third on a wild pitch. But he was left holding the bag.
McClanahan and Kreuter singled with two outs in the UCI 10th, but Grant Palmer flied out to right field to end the threat.
In the UCI 11th, junior first baseman Mitchell Holland and freshman outfielder Keston Hiura singled with two outs, before senior Ryan Cooper fouled out to the shortstop to add to the goose eggs. Hiura’s single through the left side allowed him to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
Long Beach State stranded runners in seven of the first 11 innings, including two in the first, fourth and ninth. But with the help of two would-be base stealers thrown out at second by McClanahan and a double play in the third inning, the Dirtbags had just one runner reach third base until Joey Sanchez (three for five), was stranded in the 10th.
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Big West Conference
UC Irvine 1, Long Beach State 0
SCORE BY INNINGS
LBSU 000 000 000 000 – 0 10 0
UCI 000 000 000 001 – 1 12 0
Friedrichs, Provencher (9), Lombana (12) and Hutting; Surrey, Davis (8), Manarino (9), Moore (9) and McClanahan. W – Moore, 3-2. L – Lombana, 0-1. 2B – Duarte (UCI), Bishop (UCI).