Tulane homers top ‘Eaters

IRVINE — Two pitches with game-changing results unfolded within vastly different contexts Saturday afternoon at Anteater Ballpark.

As for the results: a three-run, first-inning home run and a two-run blast in the eighth helped visiting Tulane post a 6-3 nonconference victory over No. 10-ranked UC Irvine to even the three-game series at one game apiece.

The three-run shot capped a sudden and seismic opening for the Green Wave (11-6), which seized a 3-0 lead almost before the Anteaters (9-5) knew what had hit them. It was, UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said, the most rapid ambush to start a game he may have experienced in coaching career now in its 38th season, including 22 at the Division I level.

“[Tulane] scored three of the fastest runs I’ve ever seen, ever, ever,” Gillespie said. “I mean, really, honest to god, by 1:03 p.m., it was 3-0 and there had only been five pitches thrown. I’m old, but I don’t think I ever saw that before.”

But while the three-run shot, the fifth of the season by senior second baseman Seth Henry, created precedent, at least as far as Gillespie was concerned, the two-run clout by senior first baseman Sam Honeck that padded what had been a precarious 4-3 lead, was a virtual instant replay of the eighth inning of Friday’s 7-5 UCI victory.

In both cases, Honeck, who now has five homers and 26 runs batted in through 17 games this season, initiated launch sequence against UCI senior left-hander Noel Avison, who had been brought in specifically to face the 6-foot-3, 215-pound left-handed hitter.

“It was two out of two,” Gillespie said of the ill-fated lefty-lefty matchup popular with most baseball strategists. “[Avison] is our only left-hander, so he’s the guy we’re trying to force in there to see if, down the road, he’s the guy who can help us. Obviously, [Honeck] is not the guy to bring [Avison] in against.”

The 10 combined home runs by Honeck and Henry this season are one fewer than the UCI roster has produced. And the Tulane twosome’s 44 combined RBIs are only two fewer than the combined sum posted by UCI’s top four RBI leaders.

The latter total was boosted by sophomore left fielder Ryan Fisher’s one-out single that plated senior shortstop Ben Orloff to pull the ’Eaters within 4-2 in the sixth.

An RBI groundout by junior center fielder Cory Olson trimmed the deficit to one in the seventh. Freshman third baseman DJ Crumlich (walk) and Orloff (bunt single), then reached to set the table for junior catcher Francis Larson, whose 13 RBIs shared the team lead with senior Brock Bardeen. But Larson struck out on a check-swing against Tulane closer Nick Pepitone to add to what Gillespie referred to as a string of missed chances against Pepitone and Green Wave starter Matt Petiton.

“I guess if there is anything that was disappointing, it is that we didn’t have more quality at-bats,” Gillespie said. “We hit into a couple of tough outs, but, hey, we had a couple chances where we didn’t hit into tough outs and we needed to get a little production.”

Freshman second baseman Tommy Reyes hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the second and UCI wasted back-to-back one-out singles in the fourth.

UCI’s inability to produce more offensively, led to the first defeat in three decisions for junior starter Christian Bergman.

After allowing the Henry homer, Bergman retired 13 straight. The streak would have reached 18, but for a fielding error by Crumlich in the fifth. Bergman stranded two runners in the sixth, but allowed a run in the seventh on a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt.

After allowing a leadoff single in the eighth, Bergman posted his fifth strikeout, before giving way to Avison. The five earned runs Bergman was charged with upped his earned-run average from 2.75 to 3.67.

Fisher and senior designated hitter Tony Asaro were both two for three with an RBI, while Orloff was two for four to lead the ’Eaters’ eight-hit attack.

Petiton improved to 3-0 and Pepitone collected his third save.

The series concludes today at 1 p.m.

Nonconference

Tulane 6, UC Irvine 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Petiton, Pepitone (7) and Moritz, Schaffer (8); Bergman, Avison (8), Dufour and Larson. W – Petition, 3-0. L – Bergman, 2-1. Sv – Pepitone (3). 2B – Orloff (UCI), Olson (UCI). HR – Henry (T), Honeck (T).

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].