Titans displace UCI, claim first
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IRVINE — As they awaited the postgame address from Coach Mike Gillespie in left field Sunday at Anteater Ballpark, many of the UCI Irvine baseball players’ heads were down.
That’s because, for the first time since 2008, the Anteaters were looking up at someone ahead of them in the Big West Conference standings.
Cal State Fullerton moved into sole possession of first place with a 6-1 series-clinching win that left Gillespie, his players, and the UCI faithful among the 1,254 in attendance more than disappointed.
“I’m embarrassed by today,” Gillespie said after Titan’s pitching muted his lineup for the second straight day. “I think we need to give credit where credit is due; I think [Fullerton starter Tyler] Pill was exceptional. He mixed four pitches, filled up the strike zone and overmatched us.
“But I’m embarrassed by our failure to do some things. It’s not one of those deals where I say ‘Oh, jeez, we should have won. No, we shouldn’t have won. But there’s a few things that we should have been able to handle that we didn’t. So, I’m embarrassed.”
The No. 18-ranked ’Eaters (18-11, 4-2 in conference) managed seven hits, all singles, after producing five hits in a 6-3 loss Saturday.
UCI committed two more errors Sunday each leading to an unearned run and giving the hosts six errors in the three-game series, during which the unranked Titans (18-12, 5-1) benefited from eight unearned runs.
Senior catcher Francis Larson went two for four to pace the UCI offense, and senior first baseman went one for three to extend his hitting streak to 20 games and make him five for 11 in the series.
Senior second baseman Casey Stevenson, who had a hit Sunday and has now reached base in 21 straight games, was the only other UCI player to have more than three hits in the series (four).
“I just think we pitched well this weekend,” said Serrano, in his third season at the Titans’ helm after three seasons as coach of UCI, to which he recruited the current crop of Anteaters’ seniors. “That’s a tough lineup to get through.
“We’re proud of winning this series against one of the better opponents in this league. That was probably as great of a Sunday pitching battle as you could see on either coast.”
UCI senior Eric Pettis (5-1) the other half of the pitching matchup, took his first loss of the season, the first loss sustained by UCI in six Sunday games in 2010.
Pettis held the Titans to one run on four hits through four, but surrendered three straight two-out hits in Fullerton’s two-run fifth that put the visitors in command.
Pettis allowed five runs, three earned, on 11 hits in 7 1/3 innings and earned praise from both coaches.
“Eric Pettis had us baffled, kind of like Tyler had them baffled,” Serrano said.
“I think Pettis pitched well,” Gillespie said.
Five different Titans drove in runs, including Pill, who was one of four Fullerton players with two hits Sunday.
Nick Ramirez went two for three with a run batted it to give him four RBIs in the series. He also got the final two outs after Pill was removed with one out in the ninth.
Gillespie said the Anteaters need to turn the page and correct the things they can as they try to defend the program’s inaugural Big West title.
“The thing to know is: Six conference games have been played and there are 18 to play,” Gillespie said. “So we only really have one good choice and that’s not to pout and feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to dig in and get after it.”
UCI visits San Diego today at 3 p.m. and returns home to face Pacific in a three-game conference series beginning Friday.
Big West Conference
Cal State Fullerton 6,
UC Irvine 1
SCORE BY INNINGS
Pill, Ni. Ramirez (9) and Marcoe; Pettis, Summers (8), Brock (9) and Larson. W – Pill, 3-4. L – Pettis, 5-1. 2B – Lopez (CSF).
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