SPRINGFIELD, Mo. --- No. 25 UC Irvine played two games at a chilly Hammons Field Friday afternoon taking both games over Missouri State by scores of 3-2 and 4-1.

Game 1

Quick Hitters
The Anteaters and Bears both put up early runs in the second inning of Game 1. UCI (7-3) manufactured a pair starting with John Jensen being hit by a pitch. Mikey Filia's double would move two Anteaters into scoring position, and the 'Eaters would use consecutive fielder's choice to score the runs - first Ryan Johnston executed a safety squeeze bringing home John Jensen on a perfect slide. Jake Palmer would beat out a double play ball to score Filia and make it 2-0. Missouri State (3-7) answered back emphatically with a two-run home run completely out of Hammons Field from Brooks Zimmerman to tie it back up, 2-2.

Decisive Blow
The winning run came across just the next inning by a timely pair of Anteater doubles. Brandon Lewis dropped a flare double along the left field line beating out the throw to second. Andre Antone followed with a more familiar type of double lacing a ball into the right field corner to put the 'Eaters up, 3-2.

Pitching Gems
The rest of the 7-inning contest would belong to the pitching staffs. Anteater starter Andre Pallante was back to his All-American form allowing just two hits to the Bears and striking out six through 5.2 innings before handing things off to Taylor Rashi to close the game out. MSU matched the performance with 108 pitches in 6+ innings from Davis Schwab to keep the Bears in it.

Final Score: No. 25 UC Irvine 3, Missouri State 2 (7 innings)
Only seven hits total in the matchup and no hitter had a multi-hit effort. Pallante improved to 1-1 while Schwab went to 1-2.

Game 2

Bear Minimum
Missouri State got the scoring going in the second game of the doubleheader in the bottom of the second. A pair of singles out of the gate put things in motion, and with runners on the corners and one out, Collin Clayton punched a double play-ball up the middle, but was able to beat out the throw and score Anthony Herron for the 1-0 MSU lead.

Dealing Aces
Again the pitching provided the key with Bear starter Logan Wiley throwing absolute filth to the Anteaters and holding the 'Eaters to a single baserunners from a bunt single through five innings. Anteater starter Tanner Brubaker was up to the task scattering four Bears hits through 5.2 innings of work.

The 6th Inning
The Anteater bats found a way to get into the action starting with a Mikey Filia single. Mike Peabody took his place on a fielder's choice, and then Jake Palmer shot a grounder at Bear first baseman Ben Whetstone, who was the program's leader in fielding percentage coming into the weekend, but it booted the grounder and allowed Peabody to get to third. UCI utilized a second safety squeeze on the afternoon to plate Peabody and tie things up, 1-1

Bullpen Beasts
The game then belonged to some other-worldly bullpen efforts starting with Missouri State closer Connor Sechler fresh off a scoreless inning in game one. He held the 'Eaters in check for 4.1 innings in game two keeping UCI off the scoreboard. Up to the task was Anteater starter turned reliever Trenton Denholm called upon and raised Sechler getting all seven hitters he encountered striking out five. Jordan Bocko got into the action as the game scheduled for seven innings went to the ninth. He got into a little trouble, but cleaned up his own mess by picking off a runner at second base to keep the game tied.

Brandon's Bat
The savior of game two came in the form of Brandon Lewis as he stepped up in the 11th inning with two on and nobody out. Lewis pulverized a shot high and out to left field to put the 'Eaters up for good with a crushing three-run homer and knock Sechler from the game.

Final Score: No. 25 UC Irvine 4, Missouri State 1 (11 innings)
Lewis finished with three more RBIs while Christian Koss and Bear Anthony Herron each had two hits. Jake Palmer reached twice and scored a run helping Bocko win his third game of the season and hand the loss to Connor Sechler who fell to 1-1.

Thoughts From Senior Jordan Bocko
"Credit to Christian on the pickoff play, he saw it would work, and we were playing for outs and executed and got some momentum back. The staff as a whole has bought in. We all don't care who pitches when as long as we go out there, get after it, and throw strikes. Give our hitters a chance. Runs definitely help, but today was about the pitching on a day when runs are hard to come by."

Next Up
UC Irvine finishes its truncated two-game series with a sweep, its first doubleheader sweep since 2015 when it also went on the road to take down UTSA. The 'Eaters get out of Missouri before the bad weather arrives just in time to greet No. 17 Michigan on Wednesday, March 6 and then St. John's for a three-game series starting March 8