photo credit to Steve Coburn
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine gave the TV viewers a show starring junior Adam Alcantara who drove home Evan Cassolato with a bases loaded infield single to push the 'Eaters over the top with a 5-4 win over No. 20 UC Santa Barbara Saturday night in Anteater Ballpark.
Alcantara had been in the middle of the action from the get-go after he ended the top of the first with a diving catch into foul territory. He added a few more splendid catches before becoming in the offensive catalyst.
After falling behind 3-0, UCI (29-23, 9-11) got a Mitchell Holland double and Alcantara single to start the fourth. Cole Kreuter dropped a liner into right that scooted through the right fielder for a two-run triple. Grant Palmer's sac fly would tie things up later in the inning.
Alcantara made it happen again in the next inning perfectly placing a double between the first baseman and the bag with two outs. John Brontsema motored around to score, but Holland's greedy efforts were shut down at the plate for the third out of the inning as the 'Eaters snagged the 4-3 lead.
UCSB (34-16-1, 11-9) fought back much like it did early in the game bringing home a leadoff double with a bunt to tie things in the seventh. Calvin Faucher finally took over for a brilliant Alonzo Garcia in the ninth and allowed a leadoff walk to get to third base, but got a high popout to Alcantara to get things to the ninth.
Cassolato knocked the first pitch he saw through into center field, and advanced to second on a Brontsema sac bunt. After Keston Hiura's second intentional walk of the evening, Mitchell Holland was hit on the foot on the first pitch he saw to load things for Alcantara.
On a 1-1 pitch, Alcantara muscled a sharp grounder into hole on the left side. Gaucho third baseman JJ Muno dove to knock it down, whirled, and threw toward home, but the throw was late and up the line allowing Cassolato to slide in for the game-winner, 5-4.
Alcantara finished with three hits including a double, scored a run, and drove home two. Kreuter joined him with a two-RBI night as he and five different Anteaters scored a run. Four 'Eaters had multi-hit games while Hiura and Jonathan Munoz each walked twice.
Alonzo Garcia went eight innings tying a career-best despite not factoring into the decision. His night was plagued by a pair of errors as two of the four runs he surrendered were unearned on top of the seven hits, two walks, and three strikeouts he had. Faucher closed things down for his second win of the year.
The Gauchos split time on the mound between Trevor Bettencourt and Justin Kelly. Bettencourt started and went 3.1 innings as he was saddled with three runs on four hits and two walks. Kelly wrangled in the 'Eaters for a while allowing just one run in 4.1 innings behind five strikeouts. Kyle Nelson incurred the loss after getting the final out of the eighth.
Tevin Mitchell had the best night of the Gaucho hitters singling twice, scoring both times, and helping out with a pair of sacrifice bunts. Three of the four Gaucho runs were not driven home and in fact brought in by errors.
UCI now improves to 3-1 in games that are tied entering the ninth inning and 7-1 in one-run games. The walkoff was the third of the season joining the 8-7, 10-inning win over Nevada back on February 27, and most-recently the 3-2 win over Seattle on March 19, both coming on Saturdays.
It is also win No. 2 against a ranked opponent joining UCI's Sunday win over No. 18 Long Beach State back on April 17. It will look for a second on Sunday with the series on the line as Cameron Bishop and Joe Record square off with a 6:00 p.m. start time in Anteater Ballpark. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
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