IRVINE, Calif. --- After pushing Opening Day back to Saturday, the 'Eaters and Huskies played two, and each came away with a win as UW took the opener, 9-5, and UCI came back for the split in the nightcap, 2-1.
GAME 1
'Eaters' Hot Start
The Anteaters (1-1) started off strong with runs in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead.
John Jensen knocked in a run on an infield single in the first,
Andre Antone helped with an RBI on a groundout in the second, and
Brandon Lewis added a solo blast in the third inning.
The Fifth Inning
Andre Pallante was dealing through four innings not allowing a baserunner. Washington (1-1) found some magic in the fifth inning starting with a leadoff home run from cleanup hitter Joe Wainhouse. After a single, Connor Blair stepped up and fouled one up the chute. Catcher
Matt Reitano couldn't handle it, and gave Blair life. He would promptly double home Schiffer and open the flood gates. With one out, Noah Hsue and Ben Baird singled, and then the leadoff hitter Braiden Ward was hit by a pitch. Mason Cerrillo shot a sacrifice fly to center for the second out before the big blow from catcher Nick Kahle sneaking a three-run home run over the left field wall. Wainhouse got another single signaling the end of
Andre Pallante's day on the mound. A second error in the inning allowed final run of an eight-run fifth inning.
Bullpen Battles Back
Michael Frias came on to relieve Pallante making his collegiate debut, and he was outstanding. Frias finished with 4.1 innings of relief work allowing a single run in the ninth on three hits and even struck out five which includes twice ringing up Husky power threat Joe Wainhouse.
Late Anteater Runs
Andre Antone, also making his collegiate debut, found a hole up the middle in the eighth to plate a pair of two-out runs that were helped along by a passed ball. Antone would finish with three RBIs on the day. Washington held firm and even added a run in the ninth after a passed ball allowed a leadoff triple to come home
Final Score: Washington 9, No. 25 UC Irvine 5
Antone and Kahle each had three RBIs on the day to lead all players.
Brandon Lewis smacked his first career HR, and he along with
Matt Reitano would each score twice. Reitano also tripled off the left field wall. UCI scattered its seven hits among seven different players while UW had two-hit days from Wainhouse and Blair.
Pitchers of Record
Andre Pallante had a rough outing lasting just 4.2 innings to take the loss, however, off the eight runs he allowed, only two were earned, and he did not allow a walk while striking out six. David Rhodes earned the win for Washington throwing one-hit ball over two innings in relief. Husky starter, Jack DeCooman, allowed three runs in three innings before being lifted, and Stevie Emanuels was impressive out of the pen striking out five over 3.1 innings.
GAME 2
Another Early Lead
UCI started off on the right foot once again getting a gift from the Huskies. With
Christian Koss on first base and two outs,
Brandon Lewis lifted a ball high to short right field that none of the Huskies could find it and it would fall for a double that would score Koss and put the 'Eaters up, 1-0.
Washington's Answer
The Huskies wouldn't let that deficit last long as Ramon Bramasco would triple home Jonathan Schiffer and tie things up.
Starters In Control
The middle innings would belong to starting pitchers
Tanner Brubaker and Jordan Jones. Brubaker kept the Huskies at bay stranding runners in each inning from the third to the seventh allowing three hits and striking out five in that span. Jones matched him pitch-for-pitch holding the 'Eaters hitless after the first inning and adding a strikeout in each inning including a dominant sixth inning where he struck out the side.
Defensive Lapses
Both sides had rough defensive nights despite above average showings in the field in 2019. The teams combined for five errors including three dropped fly balls.
Christian Koss let a couple balls through him and shortstop on the evening, but none of the five errors would end up crossing home plate.
The Decisive Blow
The bottom of the seventh inning started with a bang. On a 1-0 pitch,
Brandon Lewis unloaded to left field taking Jones deep and breaking the 1-1 tie.
Final Score: No 25 UC Irvine 2, Washington 1
Lewis came through with both RBIs and two of the three hits in the victory. Bramasco who drove in UW's lone run also had a two-hit game.Â
Pitchers of Record
Jordan Jones was on the short end of a great outing taking the loss despite three hits allowed and eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
Tanner Brubaker did not factor in the win despite also allowing just three hits and adding six strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Instead,
Alonzo Garcia came out of the pen for 2.1 shutout innings allowing two hits and no walks to score the 10th victory of his career.
Taylor Rashi shut down the Huskies in the ninth striking out two of the three hitters he faced for his second save as an Anteater.
First Win
Ben Orloff began his head coaching career with the doubleheader, and picked up his first career victory in the 2-1 win. He takes over this year as the ninth head coach in program history after Mike Gillespie, the all-time winningest coach in program history, retired in 2018.
Next Up
The series wraps up Sunday at Anteater Ballpark with a new game time. First pitch will come in at 6:00 p.m. to avoid impending weather forecasted for the early afternoon. Sophomore right-handers square off asÂ
Trenton Denholm starts for UCI against Washington's Josh Burgmann
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