Larson’s quiet means cracks off his big bat

IRVINE — Some baseball players have batters’ box routines that make them resemble ADHD patients who’ve neglected their meds.

Then there’s Francis Larson.

His routine is still. His approach is still. He’s just not a twitchy guy.

And Saturday? Larson’s at-bat tranquillity allowed the UC Irvine sophomore catcher to go eight for nine with a walk through the Anteaters’ twinbill with Hawaii.

No. 13 UCI notched its highest offensive performance of the season in the first game against the Rainbows, winning 14-3. Then the Anteaters (14-1) added their second-highest run total with a 13-4 victory at Anteater Ballpark.

For Larson, Saturday’s deluge of five runs, eight hits (including one home run), and eight RBIs was a breakout downpour after a burdensome drought. His five RBIs in the first game equaled his total for the season entering the series.

Larson had 10 straight strikeouts in his last week of play, and was batting .250 entering the Hawaii series. His on-base percentage was the third-lowest on the team among players with at least 20 at-bats.

After the series, Larson, who did not play Friday, was boasting .569.

Associate head coach Pat Shine had been working with Larson on his swing for about two weeks. As he tried to help Larson find a rhythm, he suggested ditching the stillness.

“We’d been making some adjustments to how I hold the bat and my stride, mechanical stuff,” Larson said. “I don’t do much. I’m real still when I hit. I don’t have a lot of movement. So, we tried to get some rhythm with my hands, with my feet.”

The slump prevailed.

Then Saturday, Larson tried going back to his old ways. His success was symptomatic of practically the entire Anteater lineup. UCI had 50 hits and 36 in three games against the Rainbows.

“I decided to go back to what I always done, during the fall and during the winter, and just try to keep a real simple approach and not do too much,” Larson said. “Not try to go for the long ball, not try to hit balls too hard. Just try to stay simple, stay quiet, stay calm. It worked out. It was a good day.”

Larson hit an RBI home run in the first inning of the second game as the Anteaters took a 5-0 lead in the first. He walked in the second, then had a single to center in the third. He flew out to left in the fifth, then ended the night with a single in the seventh.

“It’s really easy to get ahead of yourself and try to do too much, and I did that,” Larson said. “I tried to swing way too hard and I flew out. When you have a lot of hits in a row, you think oh, now I’m going to really drive it. And so I had to really, really try to stay focused and calm.”

Ollie Linton, who was three for four with a walk Friday against the Rainbows, hit his second home run of the season in the first game. Jeff Cusick, Ryan Fisher, and Sean Madigan all had three RBIs in the second.

Still, Larson didn’t think his batting was contagious.

“I think, rather, everyone’s luck is rubbing off on me,” Larson said. “I think everybody was driving balls today. I just happened to be one of the guys who was hitting balls too.”

Bryce Stowell (3-0) gave up four hits, no runs, and walked one in six innings on the mound in the first game. He struck out seven. Christian Bergman (3-0) gave up four hits, one run, walked one, and struck out four in five innings during Game Two.

Hawaii starting pitcher Nicholas Rhodes, who graduated from Corona del Mar High, was not so lucky. Rhodes, who faced 12 UCI batters, gave up seven hits and six runs, and walked two.

The Anteaters, now winners of six straight, will break before opening the Arizona State tournament against Florida International Mar 21. They’ll have a highly anticipated rematch with the No. 1 Sun Devils Mar. 23.

The last time the two met, UCI overcame a four-run deficit to win, 8-7, in a College World Series elimination game June 20, 2007.

Nonconference

Game 1

UC Irvine 14, Hawaii 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Daly, Wheeler(5), Spangler (6), Kahn (7) and Hernandez; Stowell, Lopez (7), Hamilton (8), Avison (9). W – Stowell (3-0). L – Daly (3-2). 2B – Van Doornum (UH), Linton (UCI), Larson (UCI), Madigan (UCI), Bell (UCI). 3B – DuPree (UH), Young (UH), Bell (UCI), Lowenstein (UCI). HR – Linton.

Game 2

UC Irvine 13, Hawaii 4

SCORE BY INNINGS

Rhodes, Kuroda (2), Kramer and Hernandez; Bergman, Dufour (6), Calahan (7), Necke (8), Pettis (9). W – Bergman (3-0). L – Rhodes (0-2). 2B – Hoey (UH), Van Doornum (UH), Larson (UCI), Cusick (UCI). 3B – Cusick (UCI). HR – Larson (UCI), Asaro (UCI), Madigan (UCI).

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at [email protected].