Feb. 20, 2004
Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz.- UC Irvine's Brett Smith limited the normally potent Arizona offense to just one run on six hits over eight innings as the Anteaters downed the No. 13-ranked Wildcats, 3-1, on Kindall Field at Sancet Stadium on Friday.
The loss was Arizona's second straight and dropped the Wildcats to 5-2 on the season. The win improved UCI to 4-2 for the year and snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Wildcats.
Smith (2-0), who retired the side in order in five of the eight innings he pitched, struck out seven Wildcat hitters on 101 total pitches while walking none. He also thwarted Arizona's two best scoring efforts in the third and eighth innings.
Having already given up a run , Smith faced a bases-loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the third. The junior right-hander settled in and induced UA clean up hitter Derek Decater into an infield fly for the second out and struck out Moises Duran to leave three Arizona runners on base and preserve the 1-1 tie.
Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, the Wildcats threatened again after John Hardy led off the inning with a single to center and moved to second on Brad Boyer's sac bunt. Freshman Jason Donald advanced Hardy to third on a ground out to second, but Smith struck out Jeff Van Houten looking to end his day, the inning and UA's final scoring opportunity of the day.
Anteater closer Blair Erickson picked up his third save of the season with a perfect ninth inning to preserve the win.
Arizona starter Koley Kolberg (0-1) was the victim of Smith's impressive outing. The Wildcat junior was charged with the loss despite giving up just three runs on 10 hits in the complete game effort. Kolberg struck out seven and walked just one.
UCI's offense scored single runs off of Kolberg in the first, sixth and ninth. UCI lead off hitter Brett Dalton led all players at the plate with a 3 for 5 day. He also accounted for two of the Anteaters' three runs, finishing with a run scored and a RBI.
Arizona's Van Houten was the lone Wildcat to finish with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with the lone RBI.
The two schools will meet again on Saturday for the second game of the three-game series. First pitch is slated for 1 pm.
