BAKERSFIELD, Calif. --- UC Irvine salted a big lead away late in the game, but Calvin Faucher kept the 'Eaters afloat with a four-out save to come away with a 7-6 victory Tuesday night at Hardt Field.
UCI (19-10, 3-3) had built a 7-1 lead thanks to three first-inning runs and four more in the fifth. Bakersfield (7-24) chipped away at the bullpen getting three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth before turning the ball over to Faucher.
The junior got a flyout to end the eighth, and started the ninth with a strikeout. A pair of singles got the threat going for CSUB, but a groundout and strikeout looking to close the game up and get the 7-6 win.
Faucher joined Mitchell Miller as the only of the six pitchers to pitch shutout ball. Faucher picked up his fifth save while Miller got his third win after stranding one inherited runner and rolling through three innings allowing just one hit and two walks.
Jordan Bocko got his first start working into the third allowing an earned run on four hits. Miles Glazier gave up the first two runs of his career punctuated by a pinch-hit solo home run from Junior Felix.
Bakersfield starter Max Carter suffered his fifth loss after tossing 100 pitches over 4.1 innings and six runs with only four earned. The bullpen managed 4.2 innings allowing just one unearned runs.
Dustin Frailey ran the show on the offensive side with three singles, two RBIs, two runs, and a program-record four stolen bases. His two-run single in the eighth brought it to within a run. Cody White blooped a double of his own with two outs in the seventh to chop into the lead.
The Anteater offense was led by Adam Alcantara who had RBI singles in the middle of each run-scoring inning. Cole Kreuter joined him as the only 'Eaters with multi-hit nights singling in each of his first two at-bats. Keston Hiura and Mitchell Holland each scored twice with Hiura extending his on-base streak to 45 games.
The 'Eaters were able to take advantage of four Roadrunner errors scoring three unearned runs. Kreuter reached third after an errant throw chasing him back to first base went into the dugout. Later in the inning, Hiura jumped on a ball in the dirt taking off to third base. The catcher's throw skipped away from the third baseman bringing Hiura home.
The final unearned run came on a flyball to center from Holland. Frailey leapt and seemed to catch the ball, but dropped it allowing everyone to advance and Holland to reach first. The final run of the inning scored after Parker Coss beat out a double play ball and Alcantara hustled around to score from second.
The win marks another season sweep of the Roadrunners, a third straight season for the 'Eaters. UCI's win streak over CSUB grows to 10 games with a 16-2 record overall against Bakersfield.
UC Irvine fixes their eyes back on conference play with a series at Long Beach State starting Friday, April 15 at 6:00 p.m.
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