Hornets, Joyce sting UCI

IRVINE ? Coach Dave Serrano has said all season that his UC Irvine baseball team has no superstars. But that hasn’t prevented the Anteaters from producing a variety of heroes during the first one-third of their schedule.

No one, however, stepped forward Sunday, as Sacramento State rallied for a 4-2 nonconference victory in the three-game series finale to avert a sweep at Anteater Ballpark.

The loss was only the second in the last nine games for UCI (11-7), but Serrano said Sunday he has been less than thrilled by his team’s recent play.

“We haven’t been playing well, even though we’ve come out on top in a couple games this week [defeating Sacramento State on Friday and Saturday],” Serrano said. “We got outperformed today and this will stick with me for a while.”

Hornets starting pitcher Mick Joyce had a lot to do with the frustration level in the Anteater dugout Sunday. The junior left-hander allowed only six hits in his first compete-game of the season. Joyce, who lowered his earned-run average to 2.25, posted his third victory in as many decisions this season.

“Joyce pitched a very gutsy performance,” Hornets Coach John Smith said. “He has been our most consistent starter so far.”

Serrano also praised Joyce’s 103-pitch effort, but said his team’s lack of aggressiveness helped waste a quality start by UCI senior Glenn Swanson.

Swanson allowed just one run in six innings, before exiting with a 2-1 lead.

“Their pitcher did a good job, but we never did anything to see if he would crack,” Serrano said. “We never put any pressure on, except for the first inning when we loaded the bases.”

But UCI’s rare of lack execution in the bunting game allowed Joyce to get out of the first inning without allowing a run.

After Taylor Holiday singled to open the inning, Gary Dudrey failed to lay down a sacrifice bunt, before popping out. Jaime Martinez followed with a single to put runners at the corners.

Holiday attempted to score from third on Matt Morris’ subsequent bunt, but the ball went directly to a charging Joyce, who threw to catcher Brett Tanigawa, who easily tagged out a sliding Holiday.

A walk loaded the bases, but Josh Tavelli flied out to end the threat.

UCI managed just one hit over the next three innings, but made the most of its only hit in the fifth inning. Jeff Wehrun walked to start the rally and Tyler Vaughn was then hit by a pitch while squaring to bunt. The runners advanced on Holiday’s sacrifice bunt, but Dudrey popped up for the second out.

Martinez, whose two-run single in the eighth inning was the difference in UCI’s 5-4 win Saturday, came though again. His single up the middle plated Werhun and Vaughn to give the Anteaters a 2-1 lead.

But Joyce stymied UCI the rest of the way.

Tavelli singled with one out in the sixth, but Joyce then induced a double play.

Holiday doubled with two outs in the seventh, but Dudrey followed with a groundout.

Joyce retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth.

Meanwhile, Sacramento State (7-10) took advantage of what Serrano called a weary UCI bullpen. The Hornets used a leadoff double and one-out single off Gary Nakashima to tie it.

After UCI’s Kyle Necke, who earned the win in relief Saturday, worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the eighth, he allowed three hits that produced the go-ahead run in the ninth. Necke was charged with a second run when Chris Lopez issued a bases-loaded walk to the first hitter he faced. Necke took the loss and is now 1-1.

“Our bullpen is tired,” said Serrano, who has summoned 11 relievers to work 11 2/3 innings in four games in a six-day span.

“[The Hornets] ran into some balls, too,” Serrano said. “It seemed like every time they had count leverage, they put a good swing on the ball.”

Serrano said the same was not true of his hitters.

“Usually when you have success, it generates confidence,” Serrano said. “But, for whatever reason, some timidity has crept in with us. I don’t know where that’s coming from, but it scares me and I want to get rid of it as quickly as I can. Other than Jaime, we haven’t had anyone come up with a big hit the last couple days. It’s like no one right now wants to be that guy. I think we need to get more guys who want to be the guy.”

Martinez’s two RBIs give him 13 for the season, tying Holiday for second best on the club, one behind Zach Robinson. Martinez, who was 2 for 4, also raised his batting average to .318.

Holiday, who went 2 for 3, is now hitting .324, while Dudrey (.429) and Tavelli (.355) have also been productive in 28 and 31 at-bats, respectively.

Swanson, who sat out last season due to elbow problems, threw a season-high 80 pitches in his longest outing of the campaign. He lowered his ERA to 2.88.

UCI visits USC for a nonconference game Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Dedeaux Field.