IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine fell behind early and could never fully recover Tuesday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium falling at the hands of San Diego State, 9-3.

Aztec Air Raid
San Diego State (3-1) wasted no time welcoming the Anteaters (2-2) with three first inning runs. Aztec RBI leader Julian Escobedo started it with an RBI single through the right side, a Chad Bible sac fly made it 2-0, and Brian Leonhardt doubled home the third before his overzealous baserunning picked up the third out at third base.

Creeping Back Into It
UCI's offense was stagnant early on and was without a hit until the fourth when John Jensen's single put runners on the corners. Jake Palmer would then get the Anteaters on the board on a wild pitch, 3-1. The fifth inning drew a baseball loaded situation thanks to a HBP, walk, and bunt single, and Palmer returned again, this time pushing across a second run to make it 3-2 with the bases still loaded and nobody out.

Casey On The Rubber
San Diego State would summon their answer in the form of Casey O'Sullivan stopping any semblance of an Anteater rally with two strikeouts and a groundout to halt the offense and preserve the 3-2 SDSU lead.

The Fifth Inning
The Anteaters continued their fifth-inning struggles, and after clawing back to within one, let up a five-spot in the Aztec fifth. A pair of SDSU hits found open outfield bringing home a fourth run, but Dylan Riddle was able to punchout a second SDSU hitter in the inning. The Aztecs found a way doubling home two more runs, and then singling home another two off Ryan Johnston to complete the five-run frame and go up 8-2.

Debutantes Ball
The Anteater bench was deployed throughout much of the rest of the night as a hoard of 'Eaters made their Anteater and collegiate debuts. Pitchers John Vergara and Darius Garcia each got their first mound experience. Vergara pitched the third and fourth innings walking three, but keeping SDSU off the board. Garcia allowing a double on the first pitch he threw in the seventh, but bounced back nicely despite allowing him to score by striking out two of SDSU's best hitters.

At the plate, the collegiate careers of Johnny Pacheco and Sam Ireland began. Ireland pinch hit in the eighth lifting a single over the infield for his first career hit. Pacheco went down on strikes in the ninth inning. Other hitters got on the statsheet including Mike Peabody singling and scoring in the ninth and Dailin batted twice reaching on a walk in his first at-bat.

Kaz Akamatsu closed things down in the eighth for the Anteater pitching allowing a pair of baserunners, but striking out Chad Bible to end the threat in his first action since 2017.

Final Score: San Diego State 9, No. 25 UC Irvine 3
The Anteater offense mustered just seven hits, all singles. Brandon Lewis had a late RBI while Jake Palmer earned one on a walk while reaching three times, two from walks and once being HBP. SDSU got big nights from Brian Leonhardt doubling twice for four RBIs, and three hitters scored twice and two others had multi-hit efforts including Mike Jarvis who did each.

Pitchers of Record
Each starter figured into the decision with Alonzo Garcia taking the loss after three earned over two innings. He is now responsible for two of the four Anteater decisions. Aztec starter Justin Goossen-Brown held UCI hitless through three innings to win his first. 

Next Up
UC Irvine's first weekend on the road is ahead of them starting Friday, February 22 in Houston, Tex. to take on Rice. The teams are scheduled for three games with Friday's starting at 4:30 p.m.