Anteaters drop the ball, lose

IRVINE ? Managing just one win in six games to start Big West Conference play against perennial title contenders Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton was not what UC Irvine Coach Dave Serrano had planned.

But, after falling to Cal State Fullerton, 8-4, Sunday in the finale of a three-game set, Serrano said one win against the “Big Two” just might be enough to separate the Anteaters from the rest of a crowded conference chase pack.

“The other programs have to go through Fullerton and Long Beach too,” Serrano said. “But getting one win [a 2-0 triumph Saturday against the No. 1-ranked Titans] may put us up on other teams, because a lot of teams get swept by [Fullerton and Long Beach State].

“I had a plan for what I wanted to do in these two series and it came up short. Now, we just have to take care of the other opponents and hope Fullerton and Long Beach continue to do what they did against us.”

The Anteaters (19-15, 1-5 in conference) may have done it to themselves Sunday, as a first-inning mistake, then a controversial throwing error allowed the Titans (26-8, 5-1) to score four before UCI had touched the bat rack.

The mistake, which could not be scored an error, involved a would-be pickoff play at second base. After Fullerton’s first two hitters singled, UCI second baseman Cody Cipriano broke toward second as Justin Turner got his lead. Irvine pitcher Gary Nakashima whirled and fired a pickoff throw that appeared to be well ahead of Turner’s retreat attempt, but Cirpriano dropped the ball. Instead of one out and a man on first, there were two on and no outs.

Irvine center fielder Taylor Holiday made a sliding catch of a shallow fly ball for the first out, then Turner and Blake Davis broke from second and first, respectively, in a double-steal attempt with Bryan Harris at the plate. Harris struck out swinging on the pitch and Turner appeared to have swiped third easily. But UCI catcher Aaron Lowenstein elected to try to throw to third anyway. In the process, his right (throwing) hand, appeared to strike Harris’ bat. The contact altered the throw, which went down the left-field line, allowing both runners to score. Fullerton added two singles and a double for a 4-0 cushion.

“I thought both of those plays were big,” Serrano said of the dropped pickoff and Lowenstein’s deflected throw to third. Serrano argued that interference be called, but said the home-plate umpire told him that since Harris remained in the box, he had a right to hold his ground.

UCI scored in the first as Zach Robinson drove home Cipriano with a sacrifice fly.

But Fullerton scored twice in the second and once in the third to create an insurmountable lead. Or so it appeared.

“I thought even though we got behind early, we battled the whole way,” Serrano said.

Fullerton Coach George Horton agreed.

“They just didn’t go away,” Horton said of the Anteaters, who pared the deficit to three with a three-run third. “Our guys grinded it out, but it was a frustrating day, because we couldn’t put [the Anteaters] away.”

Jaime Martinez drove in a run with a double, Robinson added a second sacrifice fly for another and Martinez came around to score on Matt Morris’ groundout to short to keep the ‘Eaters in it.

But Titan relievers Adam Jorgenson (3 2/3 hitless innings), John Estes (one hit in one-plus inning) and closer Vinnie Pestano (one hit in two innings) prompted UCI to continue to struggle offensively.

Irvine finished with four hits, giving it 13 for the series and just 28 in 54 conference innings.

Kyle Necke was the best of four UCI pitchers, throwing two scoreless innings of one-hit relief. Gary Nakashima made his first Big West start, but lasted just one inning. He gave up five hits and four runs, all earned.

Glenn Swanson, the former Sunday starter whom Serrano said has been moved to the bullpen, allowed one run and four hits in 2 2/3 innings after Dylan Axelrod fanned six in 3 1/3 innings. Axelrod gave up three hits and three earned runs.

Holiday singled to start the eighth and pinch-hitter Brock Bardeen opened the Irvine ninth with a single. But neither advanced past second base.

The defensive highlight for UCI was a double play started when Holiday made a sliding catch on the warning track after chasing down a would-be extra-base hit by Curtis in the fifth. Holiday sprang to his feet, relayed to Cipriano, who threw to first in time to nail Harris, who had passed second base by the time Holiday made the catch.

The Anteaters are off until they open a three-game series at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Friday.