UCI, Linton power past Green Wave

NEW ORLEANS — The UC Irvine baseball team returned to its winning ways Saturday, rolling past host Tulane, 7-3, in a nonconference game at Turchin Stadium.

Sophomore pitcher Bryce Stowell earned his second straight win with 5 1/3 solid innings, while junior center fielder Ollie Linton was two for three, including the second home run of his career, to drive in a career-high four runs for the No. 13-ranked Anteaters (9-1).

Linton’s two-run single capped a four-run second for the visitors, who bounced starter Aaron Loup after 1 2/3 innings.

Linton, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound speedster who had not homered since the 2005 season, added a solo home run to right field to lead off the fourth, giving UCI a 6-0 advantage. Linton drove in the final UCI run with a successful squeeze bunt, allowing Ben Orloff to score from third.

Linton, who has hit in the leadoff and No. 2 spot this season, has 11 RBIs, four shy of team leader Ryan Fisher.

Senior catcher Aaron Lowenstein doubled in a run in the third and was one for three with two RBIs.

Freshman cleanup hitter Fisher was three for five to pace UCI’s 10-hit attack, but did not drive in a run. It’s only the second game this season in which Fisher has failed to drive in a run. He scored twice and stole two bases for the winners.

Junior third baseman Eric Deragisch was two for four with an RBI, plating Sean Madigan with a two-out single in the second.

Orloff, Francis Larson and Madigan added stolen bases for the Anteaters, who are now 30 of 37 in stolen-base attempts.

Fisher doubled to left-center to lead off the second inning rally, which included a double by Tony Asaro.

Stowell, who blanked the No. 19-ranked Green Wave (8-4) the first three innings, gave up three runs in the third. He bounced back to post zeros in the fourth and fifth and was relieved by Danny Bibona with one out in the sixth. Stowell allowed six hits, walked two and struck out five, throwing 95 pitches.

Bibona fanned two and allowed just one hit in his 1 2/3 relief innings.

Sophomore Kyle Necke got the first out of the eighth, before giving way to sophomore closer Eric Pettis, who worked the final 1 2/3 innings to earn his third save. Pettis gave up one hit and struck out one.

Loup, who lost his first decision of the season, allowed four hits and four runs, all earned, in his brief stint. He walked there and did not have a strikeout.

Tulane had three errors, but only one UCI run was unearned.

The series concludes today at 10 a.m. with UCI sophomore right-hander Christian Bergman (1-0 with a 1.54 ERA) facing Tulane freshman right-hander Bobby Broach (1-0, 4.09).

Nonconference

UC Irvine 7, Tulane 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Stowell, Bibona (6), Necke (9), Pettis (9) and Lowenstein; Loup, Pepitone (2), Martin (8) and Dyer. W – Stowell, 2-0. L – Loup, 0-1. Sv – Pettis (3). 2B – Fisher (UCI), Lowenstein (UCI), Asaro (UCI); Dyer (T), Henry (T). HR – Linton (UCI), Scelfo (T).