Surrey finishes strong
The traditional presentation of the framed jersey, flowers and photos with the parents are still a couple days off for departing UC Irvine senior pitcher Elliot Surrey.
But Surrey finished a notable college baseball career with arguably his best outing in a 4-1 victory over Cal State Northridge in the opener of the season-ending Big West Conference series on Thursday at Anteater Ballpark.
Surrey, who was perhaps best remembered for his strong postseason that helped the Anteaters reach the College World Series in 2014, pitched a complete-game three-hitter to win the last of his 49 career starts. The three hits were the fewest he allowed in his five career complete games.
Surrey tied a career high with 10 strikeouts. He walked one, took a one-hitter into the ninth, before which he had allowed just one runner to reach second base. He retired 16 of 17 hitters (the lone exception reaching on an error) before giving up a leadoff double in the ninth.
Northridge (32-21, 10-12 in conference) broke up the shutout with two subsequent groundouts, and added a single. But Surrey fanned Nolan Bumstead for the final out.
His 239 career strikeouts rank No. 7 in UCI annals, as do his 320 2/3 innings pitched. His 49 career starts ranks No. 6 among UCI hurlers.
“It felt good to finish it with a strikeout and know that I finished on top,” said Surrey, who is 4-6 this season, 19-17 in his career, which includes three seasons as the weekend starter, the last two as the featured “Friday night” guy.
“He’s been a warrior for us and we’ll miss him,” said UCI Coach Mike Gillespie, who notched victory No. 1,100 in his illustrious career. “He has been a favorite and there is nothing not to like about him. He was really good tonight and I’m glad this happened for him.”
There was plenty of satisfaction for Surrey among his teammates, including freshman catcher Matt Reitano, who went three for three with two runs batted in, before handing Surrey the ball after the final out and paying his personal tribute.
“I shook his hand and I said it was a pleasure catching him this year,” Reitano said after fielding the last of Surrey’s 114 pitches (75 strikes). “He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever caught in my life, pounding the zone, out, in, up, down. He’s just an all-out competitor and pitcher. Elliot is an amazing person in the clubhouse and a great competitor on the field. I knew I had to be a wall behind the plate tonight, because he has been pitching here four years and, in his last game, I had to give my all to him.”
Surrey, who has shown a knack for working out of jams, worked himself into one in the ninth, prompting one last trip to the mound from pitching coach, mentor and fellow left-hander Danny Bibona. Bibona is a former UCI All-American pitcher whose style some believe Surrey most resembled on the mound.
“That was just the cherry on top,” Surrey said of Bibona’s last words of wisdom on the bump. “He said all the right things, just telling me to trust my stuff and keep attacking guys. He helped settle me down and gave me the confidence to finish them off.
“It feels good to finish strong,” said Surrey, who came in 1-5 in conference play this season, “especially the way things have gone team-wise and personally the last few weeks. Things have not gone the way we wanted them this year [missing the postseason for the second straight year], but to cap it off like this puts a good feeling in my heart, knowing I gave everything I had out there for this team. I’m proud of that.”
Senior center fielder Evan Cassolato (a perfect squeeze bunt) and junior left fielder Adam Alcantara both drove in runs for UCI (30-24, 10-12). Alcantara’s RBI double to open the scoring in the fourth inning extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
The series continues Friday at 6:30 p.m.
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Big West Conference
UC Irvine 4, Cal State Northridge 1
SCORE BY INNINGS
CSUN 000 000 001 – 1 3 0
UCI 000 120 10x – 4 8 1
Ryan, O’Neil (6), Viola (8) and Weiss; Surrey and Reitano. W – Surrey, 4-6. L – Ryan, 1-2. 2B – Alcantara (UCI), Reitano (UCI), Smith (CSUN). 3B – Reitano (UCI).
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Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5
