Top-ranked Titans pounce on UCI, 7-0

IRVINE ? One man’s mismatch is another man’s opportunity. UC Irvine baseball coach Dave Serrano is paid to believe the latter.

After the Anteaters fell, 7-0, to No. 1-ranked Cal State Fullerton in the first of a three-game Big West Conference series Friday night, the objective onlooker may be a little more difficult to convince.

Serrano was quick to point out the Anteaters, who fell to 18-14, 0-4 in conference, still have the chance to win the series that continues tonight at 6 and Sunday at 1 p.m.

But first, UCI will need to at least slow a Titan roll that has included eight straight victories, and wins in 16 of the last 17 games.

Indeed, the biggest difficulty Cal State Fullerton Coach George Horton faced before 1,631 at Anteater Ballpark Friday, was telling starting pitcher Wes Roemer he would not be allowed to pitch the ninth inning.

“He’s a tough guy to take the ball from,” Horton said of the sophomore right-hander, who had good reason to want more time against the struggling UCI offense.

“His pitch count was up to 97 at that point and we felt like we had enough runs,” Horton said. “But [Roemer] didn’t like it.”

Roemer, who improved to 7-0 and lowered his earned-run average to 1.53 in 76 1/3 innings this season, allowed just four hits, while striking out five. He did not walk a batter and now has issued just one walk this season.

“[Roemer] just doesn’t give you anything,” Horton said. “We’d like to pitch him every game.”

Serrano, who was Horton’s pitching coach, before taking over at UCI two seasons ago, also had praise for Roemer.

“He is one of, if not the best Friday night starter there is in the country,” Serrano said. “But as good as he is, those are the guys you want to beat.”

The prospect of beating Roemer became even more suspect after the Titans (25-7, 4-0) produced five runs on five hits in the first inning against UCI starter Justin Cassel.

“Cassel’s tendency has been to struggle in the first inning,” said Horton, whose team scored six runs on six hits against Cassel in a 13-7 nonconference win Feb. 17 at Cal State Fullerton. “We wanted to get something going early, because, as you could see, [Cassel] gets better as the game goes along.”

Cassel, now 3-6 with a 4.41 ERA, has allowed eight runs in the first inning over his last three starts. He surrendered seven first-inning runs his first three starts, but then posted an opening zero in three straight starts. He went the distance Friday, striking out seven and walking none.

Fullerton’s first-inning fireworks were capped by Brandon Tripp’s three-run homer inside the right-field foul pole.

UCI stranded two runners in the second and third innings and had a runner thrown out easily at the plate trying to score from second on a single to right to end the eighth.

Adam Jorgensen, who began his prep career at Costa Mesa High, pitched a perfect ninth to complete the shutout.

It was the first time all season UCI has been blanked, the first time in 38 games, dating back to last season.

It did, however, continue a trend of offensive futility since conference play began. In 36 Big West innings, UCI has scored just five runs and managed only 19 hits. The Anteaters are now 1-10 when they have scored two runs or fewer. They are 17-4 when they score at least three.

“The last few games we haven’t scored a lot of runs,” Serrano said. “We’re trying to create something offensively to put some runs on the board.”

Serrano shifted first baseman Cody Cipriano to second base to get both first baseman Jaime Martinez (a team-leading 26 RBI) and designated hitter Zach Robinson (18 RBI) in the lineup.

Ben Orloff, who started at shortstop as regular shortstop Chad Lundahl ? nursing a sore back ? moved to third base, went 2 for 4 to lead the hosts.

Martinez fisted an opposite-field double down the line and Taylor Holiday also doubled for one of the Anteaters’ two solid base hits.

“The opportunity has not been taken away from us to win this series,” Serrano said. “We lost the first game and, obviously, we have an uphill battle.”

Horton said he fully expects that battle.

“That’s a team we have a lot of respect for and they’re going to be ready to make a run at us [today], just like they did the last series.” Horton said. “We beat them pretty handily the first two games, before they killed us on Sunday (a 7-4 ‘Eaters’ triumph on Feb. 19).”

UCI ace Scott Gorgen (3-2 with a 2.43 ERA) will oppose Fullerton’s Lauren Gagnier (7-2, 2.64) in tonight’s contest.