Effective Alvarez Helps 'Eaters Roll to 9-3 Win over USD
May 10, 2016 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine roared back with a five-run third inning along with brilliant relief work from freshman Daniel Alvarez to finish off a season sweep of San Diego, 9-3, in Anteater Ballpark Tuesday night.
The Toreros (23-26) made all the noise early on with three doubles as part of a four-hit second inning to chases starter Miles Glazier and take an early 3-0 lead.
Alvarez stepped in to get a strikeout and leave Toreros on first and second, and the Anteater offense responded.
UCI (27-19, 7-8) poked across a run in the bottom half of the inning on a Cameron Bishop monster double to center before the onslaught began in the third.
USD brought in weekend starter Troy Conyers who proved ineffective unable to retire any of the eight batters he faced and turning the two-run lead into a three-run deficit.
The first four hitters alternated singles and walks before Mitchell Holland muscled a single over the third baseman's head to move the runners along and tie it at 3-3. Adam Alcantara followed suit dumping a single into left field and grab the 4-3 lead before a John Brontsema crack to the left field walk plated two to open things up.
USD reliever Wed Judish put a temporary stop to things leaving the bases loaded, but the damage had been done. Alvarez continued his roll pitching into the seventh before he hit a batter and was lifted snapping a string of nine Toreros set down in a row.
The combo of Dylan Riddle, Ben Ritchey, and Calvin Faucher would ride out the remainder of the game and seal up Alvarez's first victory by a 9-3 score.
Alvarez threw 4.2 scoreless innings of relief allowing just two hits and three baserunners total.
UC Irvine extended their lead thanks to a run on an Alcantara double play ball in the fourth, and got its final two runs on consecutive hits from Keston Hiura and Mitchell Holland in the sixth inning.
Holland and Brontsema led the charge with two RBIs each. Holland put together three hits including one of three Anteater doubles. Hiura, Alcantara, and Brontsema each had multiple hits. Hiura scored twice while Grant Palmer scored three times while driving in one and stealing a base.
USD had productive nights from Kevin Collard and Jerod Smith each connecting for two hits, one a double, an RBI, and scored a run.
Torero ace Gary Cornish went two innings out of the gate allowing a run on three hits. After Conyers, the bullpen allowing the remaining three runs on four hits and three walks over six innings.
UCI breaks a string of five losses in its last six games as it returns to Big West play traveling up to Cal Poly for a weekend series beginning Friday, May 13 at 6:00 p.m.
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