IRVINE, Calif. --- A diving catch by outfielder Kevin Younger left the tying run at second as UC Irvine fell short, 5-4, to Cal State Bakersfield Saturday at Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark.
The Roadrunners led 5-2 after seven innings but UCI cut into the lead with an RBI single from Chris Rabago in the eighth. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Jeff Stephens was issued a base on balls and Taylor Sparks belted a pinch-hit double to left to put runners on second and third. D.J. Crumlich sacrificed to right plated Stephens, trimming the lead to one. However, Younger, in a full sprint, dove and made the catch on a fly-ball off the bat of Tommy Reyes to end the game.
It was the third time in the last four games that UCI has dropped a one-run decision as the Anteaters fell to 29-22.
Cael Brockmeyer gave CSUB a 1-0 lead in the first, hitting a single to center to score Oscar Sanay.
Reyes tied the score in the third with an RBI double to drive in Crumlich but the Roadrunners took the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Letourneau.
The Anteaters struck back in the bottom half of the inning as Jordan Fox came up with the sacrifice fly but Letourneau responded again in the seventh with a two-out, two-run double off reliever Jimmy Litchfield to give the Roadrunners the lead for good. Younger made it back-to-back doubles for CSUB, driving in Letourneau for the three-run lead.
Starter Scott Brattvet went the distance, using 137 pitchers in the complete-game effort. The right-hander allowed four runs on nine hits in nine innings to improve to 5-5.
Phillip Ferragamo fell to 3-5 after pitching 6.1 innings and giving up four runs on four hits. Evan Brock set down six straight in the final two innings for UCI. Connor Spencer led UCI with three hits while Rabago was 2 for 2 with an RBI. Crumlich, Reyes and Fox each drove in a run.
______________________________________________________________________
For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mail athletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.
For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mail aaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
