Feb. 28, 2009

Box Score

HOUSTON, Tex. --- UC Irvine's offense exploded for 13 runs on 14 hits as the fifth-ranked Anteaters defeated Houston 13-7 Saturday at Minute Maid Park. UCI, which reached double-figure runs for the first time this season, improved to 4-2 while the Cougars fell to 2-5.

Six Anteater starters recorded at least one hit with freshman DJ Crumlich leading the team with a 3 for 4, two-RBI performance. Crumlich, who recorded his first collegiate home run in the third to put the Anteaters on the board, was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Catcher Francis Larson drove in three runs while Tony Asaro and Ben Orloff totaled two hits and an RBI apiece.

Starter Christian Bergman notched his second win of the season (2-0) after pitching 5.1 innings and holding Houston to three runs on five hits while striking out five. Brock Bardeen tossed 2.2 innings in relief, giving up four runs on five hits while Nick Hoover pitched his second shutout inning in as many games, striking out two in a perfect ninth.

UCI, the designated visiting team, broke the game open in the fourth. Asaro cashed in Ryan Fisher's leadoff triple with a single through the left side. Houston starter Ty Stuckey was unable to handle Casey Stevenson's sacrifice attempt and he then hit Cory Olson with the pitch on the ensuing play, prompting Houston to turn to reliever Barry Laird. Maverick Oliveras' fielder's choice drove in Asaro and Orloff drove in a run before UCI claimed a 6-0 lead, scoring a run on a wild pitch.

Anteater outfielder Dillon Bell pounced on a 1-2 offering from Mo Wiley, Houston's fifth pitcher of the game, for a two-run shot over the right-field wall in the sixth.

Wallace struck again the bottom of the sixth with his second home run of the game to cut the lead to 9-3 but the Anteaters would extend the lead to nine on a two-run single by Larson and a sacrifice fly by Fisher in the eighth. Crumlich would cap the scoring for UCI after doubling in Olson in the top of the ninth.

The Cougars rallied for four runs with two outs in their half of the eighth but would get no closer.