photo credit to Steve Coburn
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine scored its second five-game win streak of the season in impressive fashion riding the arm of senior Elliot Surrey who hurled his second career complete game shutout to the tone of 2-0 in front of 1,476 fans in Anteater Ballpark.
The lefty had things working early stranding a pair of runners in the first inning, and left a leadoff triple on third by fielding a comebacker, inducing a foulout to the catcher, and striking out the third out as he pounced off the mound emphatically.
UCI (25-14, 7-6) helped him out with a first-inning run of their own. Cole Kreuter singled to lead off the game of the Anteater hitters, and after a steal of second, would come around to score on a big two-out, RBI single from Mitchell Holland putting the 'Eaters up, 1-0, after one.
Surrey jousted with CSF (25-15, 7-3) starter Connor Seabold all night as the sophomore struck out nine over his 6.1 innings, but the Anteater bats were able to string together a few more chances.
UCI's insurance run came in the fourth inning as Wyatt Castro reached with a one-out single. Evan Cassolato would rope a two-out triple in the right-center alley to boost the lead to 2-0, and be more than enough for Surrey.
Surrey weathered a couple more bumps through the late innings. Josh Vargas poked a two-out triple of his own into left-center, but his seventh strikeout of the game came in handy to stop Fullerton in their tracks.
He came out for the ninth inning and got two quick outs. Dalton Blaser laced a two-out single to center which brought out pitching coach Daniel Bibona, but he gave the senior an opportunity to close it out himself which he did on a grounder to third completing the 2-0 victory.
The complete game shutout is the second for Surrey to go along with a 2-0 defeat of Hawai'i on March 27, 2015. It's the fifth shutout for the 'Eaters this season, second involving Surrey, and fifth he's been a part of in his career. His 118 pitches matches his high for the season and his career, and it equals the most pitches from an Anteater in Anteater Ballpark that he and Matt Esparza have each done twice now. He even fielded his position getting outs on comebackers on five occasions.
The offense went through Kreuter, Castro, and Cassolato who each had a pair of hits and factored into the scoring. Keston Hiura was held in check, however, he extended his on-base streak to 52 games when he was hit by the first pitch he saw in the fifth.
Cal State Fullerton knocked three of their five hits for extra bases and stranded six. Mitchell Holland started a slick double play in the third inning stepping on first base and firing a seed to second to finish the inning.
The win boosts UCI back over the .500-mark in conference play at 7-6 as they along with four other schools now have seven wins. The Anteaters now have a chance for their first series win over the Titans since 2006, however, CSUF has won the last three series in which UCI took the Friday night matchup. Dueling lefties will be on display as sophomores Cameron Bishop and John Gavin duke it out at 2:00 p.m. Saturday.
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