Baylor
UC Irvine
No. 25 Baseball Edged by UC-Irvine 3-2
3/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 5, 2004
WACO, Texas - Baylor's 25th-ranked baseball team dropped its fifth one-run game of the season here Friday as the Bears were edged by UC-Irvine 3-2 in the first game of a three-game weekend series. The Bears fall to 4-8 with the loss, while the Anteaters improve to 10-3-1.
UC-Irvine starter Brett Smith (3-0) allowed two runs and scattered 10 hits in 7.1 innings of play as the Anteaters won for the fifth time in their last six games. Smith walked two and struck out five, using just 84 pitches. Blair Erickson worked out of jams in the eighth and ninth innings for his sixth save of the season.
With one out in the third, UC-Irvine pieced together five consecutive singles, two of which never left the infield. Matt Anderson had the fourth of the five hits, a shot up the middle that scored two runs. The Anteaters added another run in the fourth thanks to a well-executed squeeze play. With runners on the corners and two outs, leadoff hitter Brett Dalton lay down a bunt as R.J. Brown raced home from third.
Baylor immediately began chipping away at the UCI lead. Michael Griffin led off the bottom of the fourth with his first home run of the season, lifting a 3-2 cutter over the wall in left. The Bears inched closer in the fifth thanks to Drew Sutton's two-out RBI single that scored Mike Heldoorn from second. However, Sutton was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double, ending the inning and the rally.
The Bears had chances again in the eighth and ninth innings. With runners at first and second and one out, Irvine brought in Erickson from the bullpen to face Griffin. Erickson got Griffin to ground out to third on a check swing and the struck out Mike Pankratz to end the threat.
Baylor put runners at first and second with one out in the ninth thanks to a Josh Ford single and a Heldoorn walk. However, Erickson struck out the next to batters to end the game.
Bears' starter Mark McCormick (0-2) pitched well, but a high pitch count forced him out of the game after walking the leadoff batter in the sixth. McCormick was touched for three runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Reliever Ryan LaMotta pitched the final four frames, surrendering no runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Griffin, Ford, Sutton and Zach Dillon all collected two hits on the night for the Bears.
Baylor and UC-Irvine play the second game of the series Saturday at 3 p.m. The Bears send southpaw Trey Taylor (2-1, 2.65 ERA) to the mound against fellow lefty Glenn Swanson (2-0, 2.65 ERA).
NOTES: Baylor now leads the all-time series 3-1. This was the Anteaters first-ever game at Baylor. ... The Bears tallied 11 hits as a team, their second-highest total of the season. ... Friday's game marked the Bears first loss this season when out-hitting the opponent. Baylor is now 4-1 in such contests. ... Baylor falls to 2-5 this season in one-run games. ... Dillon matched his career high for hits in a game with his fifth two-hit game. ... With two walks on the night, Heldoorn has reached base safely in each of his five starts this season. ... Griffin's home run was the 77th extra-base hit of his career. He moves into a ninth-place tie on Baylor's career chart with David Murphy (2001-2003). ... Baylor and UC-Irvine combined for 20 hits, a high in eight games at Baylor Ballpark this season. However, Griffin's home run was the only extra-base hit.
