IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine and Rice fought in a defensive affair with the Anteaters coming out the victors, 2-1, Saturday night in Anteater Ballpark to secure their first series win of 2020.

Back to the Bump
Once again, the game started off in a similar fashion with both starting pitchers dealing in the early innings. Both sides had a pair of runners on in the first inning, but could not convert which included the Anteaters (3-3) getting thrown out at home on a failed double steal. Neither team mustered a hit until Jake Palmer found a hole in the left side in the third inning for a single, but even after moving up on an errant pickoff, he was stranded once again.

Scratching Across
Offense finally appeared in a flash in the bottom of the fourth inning for the 'Eaters. On the first two pitches of the inning, Adrian Damla whacked a double and Mike Peabody shot a single through the middle to suddenly make it a 1-0, UCI lead. Peabody reached third on a steal and an error with one out, but he was stuck 90 feet from home.

Rice (0-5) returned the favor in the top of the fifth getting a walk, hit by pitch, and wild pitch to put a pair in scoring position without an out. Josh Ibarra was called upon to stop the rally, and allowed just one run on a groundout while stranding the other to make it a 1-1 ballgame, all this while the Owls were still yet to record a hit.

Seeing Double
The 'Eaters would snatch back the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning exactly like they did in the fourth - a Riley Kasper-double followed by a Damla single that nearly took the pitcher's head off put UCI up, 2-1.

Holding the Line
The final three frames became a high wire act for the Anteaters as the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings all featured the tying and go-ahead runners on base for the Owls.

A two-out double in the seventh moved runners to second and third, but Ibarra won a 12-pitch battle with Cade Edwards to preserve the slim lead.

A single, walk, and groundout advanced runners once again to second and third, this time against John Vergara, but he came through with an emphatic strikeout.

The Final Out
The game finished on a dramatic and bizarre turn of events. Vergara flew through the first two baatters striking out and getting a flyout on pinch-hitters. Pesky Braden Comeaux extended the game with a single into center field, and Edwards won this battle slapping a single through Jake Cosgrove at second base to put runners on the corners for the dangerous Trei Cruz.

Cruz went ahead in the count 3-1 before Vergara made it full. Then, Cruz popped a high, twisting ball down the right field line in foul territory. Riley Kasper, making his first UCI start in RF, went into a slide to try and make the catch, but was unable to, and the ball bounced off his glove and his face. He laid on the field for some time before being helped off and replaced by Nathan Church. Vergara would not fool around and get right to the final out on the next pitch striking out Cruz to seal the victory.

Final Score: UC Irvine 2, Rice 1
The Anteater offense was made up of timely hitting putting their seven hits to good use and adding six walks. Damla had the only two-hit game of the bunch, and was the only player to score and drive in a run. Jake Palmer reached base three times while being successful on 1 of his 2 steal attempts. He also extended his on-base streak to 13 games much like Mike Peabody who has now reached in 20 straight.

Anteater pitchers held the torch for the evening started off by Peter Van Loon. He had to work tossing 88 pitches and walking four hitters, but matched his performance last series with seven strikeouts and did not allow a hit in his 4.1 innings of work. Ibarra made a stand in 2.2 innings earning the victory, the first of his career, while striking out four, not issuing a walk, and maintaining his spotless ERA. The closer once again was John Vergara picking up his second of the season from two scoreless frames. He added four strikeouts for a total of 15 from Anteater pitchers, just the 13th occurrance of 15 or more strikeouts in a game in program history.

Rice managed five hits, two each from Comeaux and Austin Bulman, and Comeaux added the RBI. Owl starter Blake Brogdon was the hard-luck loser allowing two runs in five innings despite eight strikeouts.

Finale
The series wraps up Sunday, February 23, with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch. The starters were announced following tonight's game as a pair of junior right-handers will square off in Cole van den Helder for the Anteaters and Drake Greenwood for the Owls.