March 13, 2009

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. --- For the second time this week, Brock Bardeen had a key hit and gave the Anteaters a solid performance on the mound as the 10th-ranked Anteaters opened the series against Tulane with a 7-5 win Friday at Anteater Ballpark. UCI climbed to 9-4 with the win while the Green Wave fell to10-6.

Trailing 3-0, UC Irvine put up a six-run sixth, keyed by a double from DJ Crumlich and capped by Bardeen's second grand slam of the season. In the inning, Jeff Cusick led off with a single and Casey Stevenson continued the rally with a single to left center. Crumlich laced a double inside the third-base bag to score two runs and cut the lead to one. Shortstop Ben Orloff's single was followed by a full-count walk by Ryan Fisher to load the bases. Bardeen jumped on the first pitch for a home run over the right-field wall, giving UCI a 6-3 lead, and becoming the first Anteater to hit two grand slams in a season.

Bardeen, who came in for relief of starter Daniel Bibona in the fifth, allowed one run on three hits in 1.2 innings to record the win and improve to 3-0. Bibona pitched 5.2 innings, striking out a season-high nine batters and holding Tulane to three runs (one earned) on five hits and walking three. Eric Pettis got UCI out of jam in the Tulane eighth and picked up his fourth save of the season after pitching 1.2 shutout innings.

Tulane broke through in the fourth on a two-run double by Jeremy Schaffer, who was 3 for 3 with three RBI. The Green Wave added a run in the sixth on Schaffer's RBI triple. Sam Honeck's two-run home run in the eighth off Noel Avison cut the lead to 7-5 but after allowing a single to Schaffer, Pettis retired the final two batters to end the inning.

The series continues Saturday at 1:00 p.m.