March 15, 2015
IRVINE, Calif. - San Jose State's baseball team struggled to get any offense going for the second consecutive day, falling to UC Irvine 4-1 Sunday afternoon at Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark.
The Spartans (7-12, 1-5 MW) dropped the series after winning the first game for the second time in as many weeks, as UC Irvine (8-10, 0-0 Big West) won its third consecutive series.
Ross Slaney made the start for the Spartans and lasted just 1.1 innings after walking three of the seven Anteaters he faced. Josh Nashed (2-2) came on and threw 5.1 innings of solid relief for the Spartans, but got tagged with the loss after giving up a pair of runs on five hits.
Turtle Kuhaulua relieved Nashed with two down in the seventh and got out of a jam unscathed but gave up a pair of runs in eighth, the first earned runs he has allowed this season.
Evan Manarino (2-0) went the distance for UC Irvine, holding the Spartans to a lone run on four hits while striking out five and walking one.
Like yesterday, the Spartans took an early 1-0 lead only to see it evaporate. David Campbell lined a one-out Manarino pitch into center in the fourth inning for the Spartans' first hit of the game. Two batters later, Kuhaulua ripped the first pitch he saw into the right field corner for an RBI double.
Brett Bautista and Joe Stefanki collected San Jose State's other hits on the afternoon.
The lead lasted until the home half of the sixth, when Evan Cassalato tripled into the left center gap and scored on an RBI groundout by Keston Hiura. The next hitter, Cameron Bishop, sent Nashed's 0-1 pitch over the right field fence for a 2-1 Anteaters lead.
In the eighth, a one-out walk by Kuhaulua set the table for Bishop, who homered for a second time in the game and third time in the series to push UC Irvine's lead to the final 4-1 margin.
San Jose State returns home for a single game against Saint Mary's on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. before hitting the road again for a three-game set at Fresno State next weekend.