Baine’s Four Hits Lead Irvine Over Fullerton

A pair of heroes--one expected and one a surprise--led UC Irvine to a 9-5 win over Cal State Fullerton in Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. baseball action Sunday on Titan Field at Fullerton.

Senior right fielder Tom Baine went 4 for 4, with two doubles, two triples and four RBIs for the Anteaters (3-6, 13-18-2).

Because he came into the weekend series hitting .409, his performance was not surprising.

Now that could not be said of pitcher Doug Linton, who got the win Sunday and may have returned to his early season form when he was 2-0 with three saves. Linton had lost five straight and his earned-run average ballooned from 2.60 to 7.68.

As recently as Friday, Linton was struggling. He started the first game of the three-game series against Fullerton and did not get an out. After walking the first hitter, he gave up five consecutive singles before being removed. All six Titans scored and Fullerton won, 9-0.

The Titans won Saturday afternoon, 8-3 and were looking for a sweep to remain close to PCAA leaders Las Vegas and UC Santa Barbara.

Linton (3-5) replaced Anteater starter Gabby Rodriguez with runners on first and third and Irvine holding a 6-4 lead in the fifth. He retired pinch-hitter Dann Howitt on a fly ball to center to end the inning.

Over next four innings, he gave up one run, had four strikeouts and benefited from two Irvine double plays.

“I came out here today having something to prove,” Linton said. “I’m a better pitcher than I showed Friday night. My stuff was a little better and I know my location was much better.”

Said UC Irvine Coach Mike Gerakos: “Doug (Linton) is one of our better pitchers. We’re going to go to him when the game’s on the line.”

Fullerton took a 1-0 lead in the first, but UCI came back with three in the second.

Catcher Don Nicholson hit into a double play with the bases loaded and no outs to tie the score, 1-1. Chris Gallego, the Anteaters’ No. 9 hitter, followed with a home run off losing pitcher Jim Halley (5-3) to put UCI ahead, 3-1.

After that, Baine took control.

He doubled and scored in the third. In the fifth, he tripled down the left-field line to score Ed Clark. Baine scored one out later one a sacrifice fly by first baseman Gene Roumimper to put the Anteaters ahead, 6-2.

Blaine tripled down the left-field line again in the sixth, but this time with the bases loaded to put Anteaters ahead, 9-4.

The Titans aided Irvine by having two runners doubled off base on fly balls and making two errors.

“We’re too inconsistent, there’s no other way to describe it,” Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido said.

The loss dropped the Titans (5-4, 26-14) three games behind first-place Las Vegas (8-1) and two behind second-place Santa Barbara (7-2) in the PCAA. The Titans were swept by Las Vegas in Fullerton last weekend and have yet to play Santa Barbara.