RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- UC Irvine held a 3-1 lead early Saturday evening, but went cold in the final half of the contest relinquishing the game, 9-3, to UC Riverside at the Riverside Sports Complex.
The Anteaters (20-31, 7-13) washed away an early 1-0 deficit in the third inning with a towering blast from Ryan Fitzpatrick to snatch the lead, 2-1. The 'Eaters plated a two-out run in the inning to increase the lead to 3-1 heading into the bottom of the third.
Starter Jordan Bocko struggled and was replaced in the fourth after allowing the first three batters to reach base, but Andre Pallante worked UCI out of the inning with the lead thanks to a spectacular double play started by Parker Coss.
UC Riverside (20-29, 6-14) sent out Angel Landazuri to spell starter Richard Delgado in the fifth inning, and the rest was history as Landazuri retired the first eighth batters he faced and allowed just two baserunners in the final five innings of the contest to stunt the Anteater attack.
Meanwhile, UCR's bats turned on quickly getting Landazuri the lead with a three-run fifth punctuated by Yeager Taylor's two-run double off the third base chalk line. The Highlander lead remained at 5-3 until putting up four eighth-inning runs as Taylor got back into the act with another RBI double to cap off the frame and send the series to a 1-1 tie finishing off the 9-3 win.
Landazuri struck out seven in his five innings of work allowing just a hit and no walks to secure his fourth win. Starter Richard Delgado walked five, but stranded eight runners in his four innings.
Bocko along with three relievers allowed 11 hits to the Highlanders, and four of the nine runs allowed were unearned.
Keston Hiura enjoyed a solid night at the plate reaching base four times from two walks, a single, and a double. His double was the 50th in his career as he becomes the second Anteater along with Jeff Cusick who has 52 to reach the 50-double mark all-time. Alex Guenette also had a two hit game driving home a run, and Ryan Fitzpatrick muscled his sixth home run of the season, fifth in his last 11 games, to bring home the other two runs.
Taylor had three RBI for UCR and scored twice along with Colby Schultz. Six other Highlanders registered an RBI while Cody Sporrer scored a run and stole two bases.
The loss evens the series as each squad will look to take their second straight series win on Sunday. The game starts at 1:00 p.m. with Cole Spear on the bump against at UCR starter still to be determined.
