IRVINE, Calif. --- Junior
Louis Raymond kept the impressive pitching going this weekend with a complete game Saturday in Anteater Ballpark to take the series for UCI over Gonzaga, 6-1.
Raymond needed just 83 pitches to whip through the Bulldogs and earn his first career complete game and the team's first since Elliot Surrey's final start, May 26, 2016. His longest inning was a 13-pitch eighth inning which he ended on a comebacker to start a double play. His quickest inning was the fourth in which he gave up a single and still threw just five pitches. Raymond lost the shutout in the ninth after a double and single with one out, but still wrapped up the inning in eight pitches to score his first win of the year and lock up the series for the Anteaters.
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The offense didn't waste any time with a similar start from last night's game plating three first-inning runs. Another leadoff walk by
Jake Palmer came around two batters later as
Nick Anderson singled to left field. Left fielder Jace VanDeBrake bobbled it allowing Palmer to score.
Christian Koss, who reached on an error, broke for third, and VanDeBrake's throw slipped through the third baseman allowing Koss to score on the two-error play. Anderson would later come home on a
Ryan Fitzpatrick single to put Gonzaga (2-4) in an early 3-0 hole.
The 'Eaters continued to build with single runs in the fifth, sixth, and eighth for a six-run advantage before completing the 6-1 victory.
The win give the 'Eaters (5-1) wins in each of its first two series. Raymond finished with just two strikeouts, but did not issue a walk while scattering six hits. His counterpart, Mac Lardner, allowed four earned runs over six innings to go with a walk and five strikeouts.
Freshmen
Brendan Brooks and
Jacob Castro accounted for the 'Eaters' only multi-hit efforts with Castro supplying a triple as the squad's only extra-base hit. Palmer scored twice at the top of the order complete with a single, two walks, and a stolen base. Fitzpatrick,
Konnor Zickefoose,
Cole Kreuter, and
Devin Pettengill each registered an RBI.
Jake Viieth had two of Gonzaga's six hits and drove home the only run.
The finale of the series begins at 1:00 p.m. Sunday in Anteater Ballpark between right-handed freshman Trenton Denhoml for UCI and Alek Jacob for Gonzaga
NOTES: Catcher
Matt Reitano made his first career appearance at third base starting and converting his only assist...the Anteaters have yet to commit an error in five home games this year...
Konnor Zickefoose has reached base in all six games this season...the game lasted 2 hours and 24 minutes, the shortest on the season so far...Raymond's previous career high of innings pitched was eight reached twice in 2017...in the past four series between UC Irvine and Gonzaga, all have ended in a sweep - 3 for UC Irvine, 1 for Gonzaga
