No. 29 UC Irvine Blanks Pilots

The Anteaters score three in the sixth en route to a 5-0 win over Portland.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

IRVINE, Calif. - The 29th-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters scored three runs in the sixth inning to secure a 5-0 win over the Portland Pilots in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night at Anteater Ballpark.

UC Irvine also tallied runs in the first and eighth innings.

The Pilots drop their second straight game after winning five in a row. Portland is now 9-6 on the season, while UC Irvine improves to 16-5-1.

Up 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Anteaters loaded the bases against Portland senior starter Sean Sargent (1-1).

After Sargent was lifted for junior reliever Chris Siegfried, Matt Morris knocked in two runs with a double down the right field line. Taylor Holiday then brought home another run with a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 4-0.

Sargent was charged with three runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out four. Siegfried pitched 1.2 innings, before reliever Brian Yoakum pitched the final inning.

Cory Hamilton (1-1) held Portland scoreless on four hits and two strikeouts in four innings of work. Gary Nakashima struck out two and allowed one hit in 3.0 innings, while relievers Christian Bergman and Chris Lopez both pitched an inning.

Senior third baseman Jesse Rodgers and sophomore designated hitter Chase Powell both had two hits for Portland, which totaled seven hits for the game. The Anteaters recorded 11 hits.

The Anteaters opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, Ben Oloff scored on a wild pitch. In the eighth, UC Irvine made it 5-0 on an RBI double by Holiday.

Down a run in the sixth, Portland threatened to tie the score after senior outfielder Justin Pierce led off with a double.

Sophomore outfielder Cory Wiltshire then advanced Pierce to third with a sacrifice bunt.

Bur the Pilots were unable to capitalize as junior outfielder Danny Meier flied out to left field before Powell struck out.

Portland next concludes its five-game California road trip with a game against the No. 19 USC Trojans on Wednesday.

The Pilots and Trojans are slated to play at 6:00 PM in Los Angeles.

The Pilots then host the Utah Utes for three games next weekend, beginning with a game at 3:00 PM at Joe Etzel Field on Friday.

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