Bell, Tavelli pace Anteaters

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Dillon Bell and Josh Tavelli each homered and drove in three runs to help UC Irvine post an 11-6 nonconference victory Saturday against host New Mexico at Isotopes Park.

Bell, a sophomore right fielder, also doubled and went three for four to aid the Anteaters’ 17-hit attack. He launched a three-run home run to cap a four-run fifth inning to give the No. 16-ranked visitors (27-10) a 9-2 lead.

UCI trailed, 2-0, after two innings, but pulled even in the third.

In the fourth, Tavelli, a senior starting at first base, hit a two-run homer to highlight a three-run rally to help starter Bryce Stowell improve to 5-2 and allow UCI to win its second straight to clinch the three-game series that concludes today at noon.

Junior center fielder Ollie Linton, who went four for five Friday in the series opener, was three for five with two RBIs Saturday. He also stole a base, his 29th of the season, to set the school single-season record. He had shared the record of 28 with Stacy Parker, who established the mark in 1989. Linton, a preseason All-American who entered the week tied for fifth nationally in steals per game, is also the school career steals leader with 58.

All nine players in the UCI starting lineup had hits and 11 Anteaters had hits, including a pinch-hit, solo homer by freshman Ryan Fisher.

Eric Deragisch, a junior third baseman, was two for four with two RBIs and junior shortstop Ben Orloff continued his torrid hitting by going two for four with a double in the No. 3 spot. Orloff had hit in the leadoff and No. 2 spots all season.

Francis Larson, Tony Asaro, Casey Stevenson, Aaron Lowenstein and Tyler Hoechlin also had hits for the winners, who chased New Mexico starter Jacob Norton in the fifth inning. Norton gave up 10 hits, eight runs, seven earned, in 4 1/3 innings.

Stowell, bouncing back from a sub-par start against UC Riverside, allowed two earned runs and five hits in five innings. The sophomore right-hander walked four and struck out five.

New Mexico (27-18), which had 15 hits, scored four runs off UCI relievers Reid Suitor and Cole Hathcock, before sophomore Kyle Necke got the last four outs without allowing a run to preserve the victory.

— From staff reports

Nonconference

UC Irvine 11, New Mexico 6

SCORE BY INNINGS

Stowell, Suitor (6), Hathcock (8), Necke (8) and Lowenstein, Larson (8); Norton, Kerr (5), Kendrick (8) and McDonald. W – Stowell, 5-2. L – Norton, 5-3. 2B – Orloff (UCI), Bell (UCI), Hibbitts (NM) 2, Cavazos-Galves (NM), Moore (NM). HR – Fisher (UCI), Tavelli (UCI), Bell (UCI), Hollick (NM).