IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine sped through its Sunday game in Anteater Ballpark playing the contest in one hour and 55 minutes, but unfortunately came up on the losing end, 2-1, to CSUN.
The Matadors (23-25, 10-8) scored the game-winning run with two outs in the eighth as a passed ball scooted just far enough away for the runner at third to score and give CSUN the 2-1 lead.
The team were locked in a 1-1 tie from the third inning on as Cole Spear and Samuel Myers dueled each going eight innings and allowing nine hits between them.
Spear walked the leadoff hitter in the first who eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly. Myers watched a fastball go out in the bottom of the second off the bat of Ryan Fitzpatrick for a solo job to tie things. UCI only got four runners on base on the afternoon, and aside from Fitzpatrick, the other three were cut down trying to steal bases.
Fitzpatrick finished as the only player with multiple hits in the game along with the 'Eaters' run. Spear drops to 3-4 allowing just one earned run in a career high eight innings and 103 pitches.
Myers led the way striking out eight and not issuing a walk in 85 pitches. Dylan Alexander managed the only Matador RBI while Alvaro Rubalcaba and William Colantono scored the runs.
The 1-hour, 55-minute contest is unofficially the second-shortest nine-inning game in Anteater history behind the 1:49 gem that Andrew Morales tossed back on March 27, 2015 in a win over Hawai'i.
UCI now stands 17-28 on the season with a 4-11 mark in Big West play. It remains at home for a Tuesday night contest with San Diego starting at 6:30 p.m. before setting out on road trips in consecutive weekends to Hawai'i and UC Riverside.
_________________________________________________________________
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.
