IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine turned on the engines with two outs in the eighth inning plating six runs to erase a two-run deficit for the 8-4 win and series sweep of Seattle Sunday afternoon in Anteater Ballpark.
UCI's (14-6) offense had been held stagnant to just four hits heading into the eighth inning down 4-2. Austin Hansen had gone three perfect innings to that point after retiring the first two hitters, but would hit Adam Alcantara and Parker Coss on consecutive pitches.
Hansen got to a 3-0 count on pinch-hitter Wyatt Castro before being pulled with an apparent ailment. Reliever Ky Dye entered and walked Castro to load up the bases. The next four hitters would proceed to get a hit driving home six runs and turn the game into an 8-4 Anteater lead.
The UCI bullpen squandered away a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning after Cameron Bishop left the game after lasting 5.1 inning and 101 pitches with two runners on. Miles Glazier and Mitchell Miller could not hold the Redhawks back allowing three runs in the sixth.
Chris Vargas stopped the bleeding with a flyout in the inning and continued on for 2.1 innings without allowing a baserunner and keeping the 'Eaters in the game. He eventually would earn the victory, the first of his career, and lowered his ERA to 1.86 in 9.2 innings on the season.
Bishop was tagged for all four earned runs on the afternoon allowing eight of the 10 Seattle hits and striking out six.
SU got big days from Sheldon Stober who went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run, and an RBI along with two hits from Sean Sutton and additional RBIs from Michael McCann and Jeffrey Morgan.
Nick Meservey allowed two earned runs over 4.2 innings doubling the amount of runs he had allowed all season in his four previous starts ballooning his ERA from 0.39 to 0.96.
The Anteater scoring came from Keston Hiura, once again, with three hits, three RBIs, two stolen bases, and two runs to extend streaks to 10 games with a hit and 36 games reaching base.
Cole Kreuter got the big inning started with a clutch 2-run double. Mitchell Holland added two doubles and 2 RBIs, and Alcantara's big hit by pitch was his second of the game giving him 10 on the season.
The win pumps UCI's win streak to five games, six in a row at home, and completes the sweep putting the 'Eaters at a 14-6 record on the season. UCI is home Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. game against LMU for its last home game until April 8 when conference play comes to Irvine.
________________________________________________________
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, Twitter and by downloading the UCI Front Row app, available free to all Anteater fans through iTunes and Google Play, to view schedules, results, and up-to-the-minute news.
