Bruins stymie ‘Eaters

UC Irvine sophomore pitcher Cameron Bishop has, as Anteaters Coach Mike Gillespie said, never been better.

But neither has UCLA junior starter Grant Dyer, who threw a complete-game four-hitter for the most commanding performance of his career in the visiting Bruins’ 4-1 nonconference baseball victory on Saturday.

UCI senior left fielder Grant Palmer went two for four with one of the ‘Eaters’ three doubles to lead an overmatched UCI offense. The hosts equaled their season-low hit output.

“[Dyer, a first-team All-Pac-12 performer last season as a set-up man, who had one other complete game this season] was just overpowering with that breaking ball,” Gillespie said of Dyer, who improved to 3-3 and struck out a career-best nine. He walked two, threw 77 of his 123 pitches for strikes and allowed only two runners past second base.

“It was too good for us,” Gillespie said of Dyer’s curveball. “And [UCLA Coach John Savage, Gillespie’s former pitching coach at USC who guided UCI for three seasons from 2004-06 before assuming the Bruins’ helm] has done a great job developing [Dyer’s] ability to bury [the breaking ball]. Chase, chase, chase is all we did. It has such snap, such bite and it’s 80 mph. It’s hard to lay off.”

Bishop threw a career-high 114 pitches, surrendering five hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out six, but limited the damage well enough to exit trailing only 2-1.

UCI’s lone run came in the fifth inning, when Palmer led off with a double and moved to third on Wyatt Castro’s sacrifice bunt. Palmer scored on Parker Coss’ groundout to shortstop.

Junior center fielder Adam Alcantara and freshman Matt Reitano doubled with one out in the second and third innings, respectively, but neither advanced.

Sophomore designated hitter Keston Hiura walked with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on Mitchell Holland’s groundout to short, but was stranded when Alcantara popped out to the second baseman.

UCI highlights also included sterling defensive plays by junior shortstop John Brontsema, sophomore second baseman Cole Kreuter, and Holland at first base.

“And that’s about where it ends,” Gillespie said of his team’s highlights, of which he made it a point to include Bishop.

“I was encouraged by Bishop,” Gillespie said of the 6-foot-4 left-hander. “That’s the best he has thrown since he has been here.”

UCLA shortstop Trent Chatterton doubled in a run in the second to open the scoring and the Bruins doubled the lead in the fourth when Daniel Rosica’s squeeze bunt plated Jake Pries, who had walked to open the inning. Pries is the son of former Corona del Mar High baseball and basketball star Jeff Pries, who also went to UCLA.

UCLA tacked on two runs in the ninth against freshman reliever Jordan Bocko.

The loss dropped UCI to 26-18, while the Bruins improved to 22-22.

The two teams complete the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

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Nonconference

UCLA 4, UC Irvine 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

UCLA 010 100 002 – 4 9 0

UCI 000 010 000 – 1 4 0

Dyer and Rosica; Bishop, Alvarez (7), Glazier (8), Bocko (9) and Reitano. W – Dyer, 3-3. L – Bishop, 5-4. 2B – Stephens (UCLA), Chatterton (UCLA), Alcantara (UCI), Reitano (UCI), Palmer (UCI), Peterson (UCLA), Filia (UCLA).