Box Score IRVINE, Calif. --- A chaotic eighth-inning swings between UC Irvine and Cal Poly falling to the Anteaters to open the series with Cal Poly on a 7-3 win Friday night in Anteater Ballpark.
Runners On Base
UC Irvine (30-14, 11-5) was in control early loading the bases in each of the first three innings. A strikeout did the 'Eaters in in the first inning, and the third saw the last three hitters retired despite loading the bases with nobody out. The Anteaters left 11 runners on the base in the game, the 11th time they've left on 10 or more on the season while averaging nine runners left on during the month of May.
UCI came through in the second inning however off the bat of
Adrian Damla. The first of his three doubles on the night was a booming shot into left-center field that eluded the dive of center fielder Bradlee Beesley to clear the bases and put UCI up 3-0 early.
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Cruise Control
Meanwhile,
Andre Pallante was having himself a solid outing on the mound retiring the first eight Mustangs he faced allowing just two runners to reach as far as second base. Pallante started strong with two strikeouts in the first inning, and finished with two big strikeouts in his final inning for eight on the night while adding a K in each inning on the night.
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Making Up the Distance
John Vergara came in for a shutdown seventh inning, and got the first two out in the eighth before giving up a couple hits and putting two in scoring position.
Taylor Rashi was called upon, but the Mustangs (23-24, 12-4) got to him with a pair of bloop hits falling in to scoring three times and put the tying run on second with two outs. Myles Emmerson would slash a single into right field bringing the tying run around, but
Ryan Johnston, who entered the game in the seventh as a defensive replacement, launching a dart right on target to
Griffin Mazur to tag the runner on a tag and preserve the one-run lead
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Finishing Strong
The 'Eaters still had a slim lead in their half of the eighth with Cal Poly's horse out of the pen, Michael Clark, entering the game.
Sam Ireland reached on an error to lead things off, and once again UCI would load the bases with two outs thanks to a
Brandon Lewis single and Johnston HBP. Mazur whacked the first pitch by the left fielder scoring all three runners and icing the game
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Final Score: UC Irvine 7, Cal Poly 3
Damla drove in four runs for the first time in his career, and became the first Anteater since Mitchell Holland in 2016 to double three times in a game.
Brandon Lewis reached three times and scored each time on the evening while
Sam Ireland scored twice. Mazur put up his first three-RBI game on his third career double, all coming in the last five games. Cal Poly rode Tate Samuelson's three hits, two RBIs, and run scored on offense
Pitchers of Record
Pallante got back on the beam winning his eighth of the season allowing three hits and a walk. His eight strikeouts moved him past Elliot Surrey and Justin Cassel into fifth all-time in program history with 246 career strikeouts. Rashi earned a four-out save on the evening with two strikeouts of his own, but was tagged for his second run allowed on the season. Chase Watkins walked six batters in his two-plus innings falling to 0-2 after allowing three runs. Ryan Jameson held the game together with four scoreless innings of relief allowing just two hits. Michael Clark allowed the three runs in the eight, but were all unearned.
Next Up
The series rolls along Saturday, May 11 with a 6:00 p.m. start on ESPN3.
Trenton Denholm and Bobby Ay each go for their eighth wins on the season. Cal Poly remains a game ahead of UC Irvine in the Big West standings with UC Santa Barbara taking over the top spot at 13-3.
