UC Irvine, Arizona play to deadlock

Travel plans halted the UC Irvine nonconference baseball game at the

University of Arizona Sunday with the scored tied, 8-8, after 10

innings.

UCI (5-2-1) trailed, 5-3, until it scored five in the seventh,

keyed by Erik Johnson’s three-run double.

But the No. 13-ranked Wildcats (5-3-1), scored three in their half

of the seventh, before both bullpens buckled down to force the

deadlock. It was UCI’s first tie since 1989 against Loyola Marymount.

Brett Dalton and Kyle Rychebosch had two hits apiece to fuel the

Anteaters’ 11-hit attack, while Matt Fisher, R.J. Brown and Tim

Stwart each had one RBI for he visitors. Brown belted a solo homer in

the first inning to increase the UCI lead to 2-0.

Johnson’s three RBIs give him eight for the season, tying Matt

Anderson for team-high honors.

UCI, which won the first two games of the series, received two

shutout relief innings from Steve Schroer.

UCI returns to action Tuesday at 6 p.m. against nonconference

visitor UNLV.

*--*

Nonconference

UC Irvine 8, Arizona 8

Score by Innings

UCI 200 010 500 0 -- 8 11 3

Arizona 000 023 300 0 -- 8 19 3

Nicoll, Fox, 6, Koehler (6), Alstot

(6), Huff (8), Schroer (9) and

Werhun; Cortez, Malancon (7), Frey

(7), Meloan (7), Rodriguez (9) and

Mercado. 2B -- Johnson (UCI), Wagner

(UCI), Donald (A), Reilly (A),

Mercado (A), Duran (A). HR -- Brown

(UCI), Donald (A).

*--*

Vanguard honors Besse

* BASKETBALL: Vanguard University freshman Rachel Besse, who

helped the women’s basketball team continue its dominance in the

Golden State Athletic Conference, was named Lion of the Week by the

school for the week ending Feb. 8.

The 6-foot-3 center from Soldotna, Alaska scored 31 points and

grabbed 17 rebounds in a pair of victories over Concordia (Feb. 3)

and Westmont (Feb. 7).