IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball completed a hefty doubleheader Saturday with wins on both ends against Hawai'i in Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark.
UNFRIENDLY START
After leading throughout on Friday, Hawai'i (11-6, 3-4) made the first noise on Saturday busting out for four runs in the top of the first inning. A walk and a single put UH in position for a double steal that was thrown into the outfield for the first Rainbow Warrior run. After getting another runner on base, the big blow came as designated hitter Jacob Igawa roped a ball over the left-center wall to suddenly put the 'Eaters behind 4-0 before they had an at-bat.
RAPID RESPONSE
The 'Eaters (13-7, 7-0) got a run back in the bottom of the first thanks to an errant throw from UH. They added another to close the gap to 4-2 after two innings. Then the fourth inning the Anteaters pounced. A one-out walk brought up
Nathan Church who lowered the boom with a two-run home run out to center field to tie things and knock out starter Cade Halemanu.
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The inning wasn't over as the 'Eaters continued their assault.
Mike Peabody walked and got into scoring position on a steal before
Luke Spillane doubled him home. With two outs, Spillane came home on a single from
Jacob Castro, and then a double from
Justin Torres scored Castro from first to finish the five-run inning and make it a 7-4 UCI advantage.
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PINTO REGROUPS
Anteater starter
Nick Pinto settled in after his disastrous first inning and let his offense work all the time keeping Hawai'i quiet for the next six innings. A week after taking home Big West Pitcher of the Week honors, he found that level again striking out a career high eight hitters and completing seven innings in game one.
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FINAL GAME 1: UC IRVINE 12, HAWAI'I 5
The Anteaters pounded out 12 unanswered runs after the ugly top of the first to seal the win. Six 'Eaters had multiple-hit days as part of a 16-hit effort. Castro led all hitters with three hits and scored twice along with an RBI. Church hit his second career home run and led all 'Eaters with three RBIs. Peabody scored three times reaching base three times and stealing a base.
Igawa had the big offensive day for UH adding a second hit and run. Kole Kaler matched him with two hits. All three Hawai'i pitchers each were responsible for four of the runs. Buddie Pindel drew the loss in relief going the longest for them at 3.2 innings.
Pinto snags his second straight win, and
Dylan Riddle finished the game with a pair of innings striking out a pair.
GAME TWO
The second half of the doubleheader started a little tamer with both sides scoreless through two innings. The Anteaters struck first starting with back-to-back doubles as Church drove home
Connor McGuire. Peabody would single home Church, and then later come around on an
Adrian Damla sac fly for an early UCI lead this time, 3-0.
WARRIOR STANCE
Hawai'i did the battling back this time around finally getting to
Michael Frias in the sixth inning. Three consecutive two-out hits got UH on the board as Frias was masterful otherwise tying a career high with nine strikeouts as he lasted six innings and scattered seven hits without a walk.
Hawai'i erased the deficit in the seventh inning putting two more runners on with two outs. Kole Kaler resurfaced for the Rainbow Warriors with two outs sneaking a ball inside the third base bag for a two-run double and evening everything at 3-3.
The inning may have been bigger for Hawai'i if not for an amazing catch by
Luke Spillane matching his own effort on a catch from the first game of the series.
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MANUFACTURING A WIN
The unlikely power source over the weekend,
Taishi Nakawake, responded with a booming double high off the left field wall to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. A sacrifice bunt got him over, but reliever Li'i Pontes failed to record any outs fumbling the play. After a big strikeout, Peabody was back to lay down a perfect squeeze play to bring Nakawake home and put UCI back on top, 4-3.
FINAL GAME 2: UC IRVINE 4, HAWAI'I 3
The final two innings were full of nerves as Jacob Kign was called upon again to shut things down. After a single and a stumble on a Hawai'i sacrifice bunt putting two on and no out in the ninth, he found his rhythm with a strikeout of Kaler before getting a flyout with the bases loaded to complete the win and give UCI a series win.
Church and Peabody led the offensive charge with two hits for each and three RBIs between them. Nakawake and McGuire helped in the 8-9 spots each with a double and run scored.
Four Rainbow Warriors had multiple hits led by Kaler who had a double and two RBIs. Pontes drew the loss despite an unearned run. Starter Austin Teixeira battled for six innings, but did not figure in the decision.
Michael Frias suffered the same fate despite leaving with a lead. His also went six innings and kept his ERA under 2.00 while equalling his strikeout career high of nine set a week ago.. King took the win, his second of the year striking out three in 2.1 innings.
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"We've got a good feeling going right now. Our guys believe that regardless of the circumstances, we're going to win. We faced a couple different ones today. Game 1, we go down 4-0 in the top of the 1st, we win 12-5. We got ahead, they tie it, go back ahead, 2nd and 3rd 1 out for their 3-hole guy in the ninth and we find a way to win, so I think we've got that belief, and its a lot of fun right now."
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"It's more of what he's been all year for Frias. It's borderline domination from him. Six innings, they score late off him, struck out nine, no walks, multiple pitches. He's been as good as anybody we have. And can't say enough about
Jacob King. What he did last night to get four outs. He came in again today in the seventh inning and got the middle of their lineup with guys on base. He's tough, he wants to pitch, he's not going to crack. You've got to beat him and he's pretty tough."
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"Taishi has been one of our better offensive players. Hit with two strikes, hit with runners in scoring position, hitting the double, he's been huge. And then with Peabody all he cares about is winning, he's a complete player. He won a game at Davis, he had a push bunt for us, went second on ball in dirt and then on to third, gets down a safety squeeze. He's all about winning, and he can help us win in a lot of different ways."
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SERIES FINALE
The weekend wraps up with a 1:00 p.m. finale on Sunday between UCI and Hawai'i.
Peter Van Loon toes the mound for the Anteaters against a fellow upperclassman, Logan Pouelsen for the Rainbow Warriors.
