Summers one of three new weekend starters who earned the Friday assignment on the basis of his professional-level stuff, fell victim to some familiar command issues that helped create a pedestrian 8.51 earned-run average a year ago.
Summers, who did not allow a hit, gave up only one earned run and struck out three in 2 1/3 innings, walked four and hit three batters to leave what would have been an easy pitching victory for another Anteater arm.
Thurman, a product of Orange Lutheran High whose older brother and sister were multi-sport athletes at Corona del Mar High, struck out three in 3 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs, to claim the W.
"We were in need of a guy to go in the game and fill up the strike zone," said UCI Coach Mike Gillespie, who reluctantly, but justifiably took the ball from Summers with the Anteaters up, 8-1, in the third inning. "[Thurman] has done that [in practice] and he did do that."
Sophomore left-handers Andy Lines and Matt Whitehouse, as well as freshman lefty Jimmy Litchfield all worked scoreless relief innings to brighten the hosts' collective mound performance.
But the watershed success was achieved by an offense that scored in six of eight innings and had at least a hit in every frame against four Nevada hurlers. The 17 runs were the most in UCI's 33 openers and the first time the program has topped 10 in a season debut. The 13-run margin is also tops in UCI history, the previous high being nine.
Junior designated hitter Jordan Leyland went three for four with three runs batted in to lead a quartet of 'Eaters who either had three hits or three RBIs.
Junior first baseman Jordan Fox was three for five with two RBIs, while senior right fielder Sean Madigan was two for four with three RBIs and junior catcher Ronnie Shaeffer was two for five with three RBIs.
