DAVIS, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball secured the sweep in the doubleheader Saturday winning its third game in the series, 6-2, over UC Davis in Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium.

FAST FIRST
Much like game one, the Anteaters (9-7, 3-0) jumped out to a lead in its first at-bat. The first four 'Eaters reached starting with a Nathan Church single, Mike Peabody hit by pitch, and Adrian Damla walk setting up Luke Spillane's single to score two and bounce UC Davis (5-12, 0-3) starter Nolan Meredith after four hitters. Kaden Riccomini was called upon, and got the first two hitters he faced, but could not solve Northern California native Dillon Tatum who launched a two-out, three-run home run for a 5-0 opening inning.

LIKE MIKE
Starter Michael Frias continued his quality pitching Saturday afternoon with his first career quality start. Frias entered the game having gone 12.2 innings without allowing a run and 11.1 innings without allowing a hit. The hitless streak was broken in the second hitter of the game ending it at 11.2 no-hit innings, but he allowed just four hits during his six innings. The consecutive scoreless innings lasted until a third-inning sacrifice fly to ending his streak at 15.1 shutout innings.

The third-year righty continued to mow down hitters striking out nine Aggies, a career high and also a team best for the 'Eaters. The strikeouts upped his season total to 27 posting four innings with multiple strikeouts, and did not walk a hitter keeping his nationally-ranked WHIP low at 0.61.

FINAL: UC IRVINE 6, UC DAVIS 2
The Aggies threatened in the ninth inning getting a run home and putting the tying run at the plate until Jacob King closed the door with a groundout to finish the game. He and Tanner Brooks, with his 2.1 innings of relief, secured the series win. Frias becomes the first Anteater with three wins on the year.

Tatum's HR along with Luke Spillane's two run-scoring hits each had three RBIs on the game. Each had two hits in addition to Connor McGuire who had a double. Adrian Damla scored twice and belted his second career triple, and was joined by Church who tripled as part of his three hits.

Of UC Davis' four hits, three came from nine-hitter Kyler Arenado who doubled twice and recorded a run and RBI. Starter Nolan Meredith drew his third loss. Riccomini kept things close with seven innings of relief with just the two runs allowed.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ben Orloff
"It's hard to sweep the doubleheader. It starts with the pitching. We get the two starts that we got, it's a big reason why we're able to win two."

"They've both thrown the ball really well. Frias' stats show how well he's thrown, but I think Pinto's been really good. He had his good stuff going, he was doing a good job with the breaking ball. Lots of early outs that let him be in the game for eight innings. Frias didn't have his good stuff, struggling to throw the ball down. Changeup is not a great pitch to these guys, but for him to go six and give up one without his good stuff and finish in high-70s in pitches, it's a good job."

"I think it was a lot more of the same. We used a big part of the field, not being early, hitting with runners in scoring position, I think it's been a good weekend for us from the offensive side from a lot of different guys."

"When you win two in a three-game series and lose on a Sunday and feel bitter about it, that's what this is. In our old three-game series format, the team that wins the league needs to sweep people when you have the chance to because its so hard to do. I think this is more of the same, whoever wins our league this year will have some four-game sweeps so for us to be in a position to do that going into a Sunday, tomorrow's really important."

FINISHING UP
The four-game series ends Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. start and Peter Van Loon on the mound. The 'Eaters will look to earn its first-ever sweep of a four-game weekend series as it starts Big West Conference play.