Junior right-hander Scott Gorgen continued his mastery of Hawai'i in UC Irvine's 9-0 win last night in the opener of a non-conference three-game college baseball series at Anteater Ballpark in Irvine, Calif.

Gorgen (3-1), who as a freshman two seasons ago pitched two-hit ball in 8 1/3 scoreless innings against the Rainbows, allowed a hit over eight for the Anteaters (12-1), who recorded their sixth shutout of the season. Crosby Slaught allowed UH's second hit of the game in a scoreless ninth for UCI.

"He was good as advertised, but we didn't play well," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "I credit them for executing the way they did, but we didn't put up much of a fight."

Gorgen took a no-hitter through one out in the seventh, when Kevin Macdonald singled to center. Gorgen walked one and had nine strikeouts. Two other UH batters reached by errors against him.

Jared Alexander (2-2) had his shortest outing of the season, going five innings, allowing five runs and seven hits with four strikeouts for UH (7-10).

The Anteaters jumped to 5-0 lead after five innings playing small ball. The top two hitters in the order — Ollie Linton and Ben Orloff — combined batted 7 for 9 with seven runs scored with four steals. Jeff Cusick went 2 for 5 with a double and five RBI.

The Anteaters used a double steal and scored on a flare single by Cusick and RBI ground out by Brock Bardeen to take a 2-0 lead in the first.

They made it 3-0 in the third when Linton singled, stole second, took third on a ground out to second and scored on Ryan Fisher's squeeze.

They added two in the fifth. Linton bunted for a single and took third on Orloff's perfectly executed hit-and-run single to left. Fisher followed with a run-scoring single, and Cusick's ground out to second scored another to make it 5-0.

"They did a textbook job of executing today," Trapasso said of UCI.

If anything, Trapasso got his freshmen pitchers involved. Alex Capaul, who has made three starts this season, added two scoreless innings of relief. He got into a jam in his second inning, when a single and two walks loaded the bases. But he escaped unscathed.

"It's the first time he made a pitch to get out of a jam after a couple walks," Trapasso said. "I think he got better. His first inning, he was lights out, as good as we've seen him. Second inning, he started cutting himself off again, leaving pitches up, but at least he was able to get out of it."

Sean Soto made his season debut in the eighth. Sean Madigan greeted his first collegiate pitch for a triple. He later gave up an RBI double and three-run double, lasting only two-thirds of an inning before redshirt freshman Sam Spangler struck out pinch hitter Sammy Donabedian to end the inning.

"I told (Soto) the good thing is he can only get better," Trapasso said with a chuckle.

The three-game series will conclude today with a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m., HST. A single game was originally scheduled for today and tomorrow. But inclement weather is forecast for tomorrow, so the coaches agreed to play a doubleheader today.

Matt Daly will start the first game for UH with Nick Rhodes slated for the second, Trapasso said. Daly was scheduled for tomorrow's start. Trapasso said he wants Rhodes in the later game to take advantage of the twilight and pitching with the shadows.

The games will be broadcast live on EPSN 1420 AM.