Feb. 13, 2005

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. - Three UC Irvine pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout as the Anteaters completed a three-game sweep over eighth-ranked Washington with a 5-0 win Sunday at Anteater Ballpark.

The Huskies fell to 0-3 on the season while Irvine, which took two of three from California the previous weekend, improved to 5-1.

UCI starter Justin Cassel (1-0) threw seven innings for the win, allowing no runs on four hits and no walks while fanning six. Relievers Nash Robertson and Steve Schroer held the UW hitless over the final two innings to close it out.

Husky junior starter Matt Kasser (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits over five and two-thirds. Kasser held UCI scoreless through the first five despite allowing the leadoff runner to reach base in each of his innings.

Irvine broke through with a pair of runs in the sixth. After pinch hitter Erik Johnson walked and moved to second on a bunt, third baseman Matt Anderson blooped a double into shallow right to put runners at second and third. Jaime Martinez followed with a hard ground ball single through the right side to score Johnson and Tim Stewart drove in Anderson with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

After Kasser was relieved by David Dowling, shortstop Chad Lundahl laced a double down the third-base line to driive in Martinez and increase the UCI lead to 3-0.

In the seventh, the Anteaters added two more. Brett Dalton doubled just inside the third- base bag to lead off, then moved to third on a bunt single from Johnson. After an out, Anderson singled through a drawn-in infield to drive home Dalton and a Martinez sent home Johnson with a sacrifice fly.

While the Anteaters were able to put the leadoff hitter aboard in every inning, the Huskies managed four singles and three walks in the game.

The Huskies didn't get a runner aboard until the fourth when Nick Batkoski reached on a two-out single. The UW put together its first real threat in the fifth as Curt Rindal singled and Matt Lane reached on an error to put two runners aboard with no outs. An unsuccessful sacrfice bunt and a double-play groundout ended the inning, however.

Batkoski, who went 2-for-4 in Sunday's game, finished the three-game series with six hits in 12 at bats.

The Huskies return to the road next weekend for a three-game series at Santa Clara. Live audio and stats will be available at gohuskies.com.

LINESCORE
Non-Conference Game
UC Irvine 5, Washington 0
Washington     000 000 000 -- 0  4 0
UC Irvine      000 003 20x -- 5 11 1
Matt Kasser, David Dowling (6), Josh Conover (7) and
Matt Lane. Justin Cassel, Nash Robertson (8), Steve Schroer
(9) and Aaron Lowenstein, Mark Wagner (7). W - Cassel (1-
0). L - Kasser (0-1). 2B - UCI, Daniel Miramontes, Matt
Anderson, Chad Lundahl, Brett Dalton. T - 2:35. A - 709.