IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball scored another Big West series win beating UC San Diego twice Saturday at Anteater Ballpark by scores of 11-1 and 9-3.
GAME ONE
The 'Eaters (19-9, 13-2) got things going in the second inning after shutting down UC San Diego's (7-16, 4-7) bases loaded threat in the top half of the inning. The first four Anteaters reached base ending on
Taishi Nakawake blooping a single into center field for a 1-0 lead. A second run came home on a wild pitch, and then
Thomas McCaffrey really opened things up with a triple down the right field line for a 4-0 lead.
Â
The inning finished up with two more runs for six in total as
Nathan Church extended his hit streak floating a single to right field to score McCaffrey. A
Luke Spillane sac fly ended the scoring giving UCI a large 6-0 cushion through two innings.
Â
SETTLING IN
Nick Pinto used his six-run cushion and shut down Triton bats through five innings. After a one-out double in the sixth, he was lifted as that run came around for the only run he was charged with in 5.1 innings.
Troy Wentworth made his first appearance in nearly a month with a scoreless inning of work topped off by 0.2 scoreless from
Gordon Ingebritson on the mound.
FOLLOWING THE RULES
Once again, the 10-run rule was in effect as the 'Eaters grew the lead in the seventh inning. A
Jake Cosgrove RBI single made it 8-1 UCI, and then
Connor McGuire hammered a triple to center field to score two and make it 10-1.
Â
The Tritons went to their bullpen with the game-ending runner on third base trying to extend their chance, but Ryan Rissas uncorked a wild pitch that would score McGuire and finish the game at 11-1.
FINAL SCORE (7 INNINGS): UC IRVINE 11, UC SAN DIEGO 1
The bottom third of the order for UCI carried the load going a combined 4-for-9 with two triples, six RBIs, and four runs scored. Cosgrove added a three-hit day, an RBI, and two runs.
Pinto collected the win, now 4-1 on the year, striking out three on 100 pitches exactly. UCSDÂ went through five pitchers with Noah Conlon allowing six runs in 1.2 innings to draw the loss. Tate Soderstrom had the best offensive day with two hits and the lone run scored.
GAME TWO
The 'Eaters once again opened with runs in the second inning to take an early lead. Two singles to lead off the inning got things started. A sacrifice bunt put them in scoring position, but a strikeout left
Connor McGuire to try and deliver. He did with a smash to center field scoring two for the 2-0 lead.
Â
TRITON TAKE OVER
UCSD made their presence known by taking the lead in the fourth inning. A leadoff hit batsman brought up Michael Fuhrman who tanked a home run deep and out to left field to tie things up, 2-2. Another hit and walk put more runners on for the Tritons, and Paul Gozzo would deliver grounding out and scoring go-ahead run for a 3-2 UCSD lead in the fourth.
The 'Eaters tried to answer in the bottom of the fourth, but starter Nic Gregson gave way to Luke Mattson who shut down the Anteater rally. He would continue with two more innings of spotless work and hold on to the one-run Triton advantage.
PUNCHING BACK
UCI's offense finally got a break as Mark Quinby relieved Mattson, and the bats immediately got to work. McGuire flipped a single into right field, and then after a
Nathan Church double,
Mike Peabody cranked a double the opposite way to score both runners and quickly take the lead back, 4-3.
Â
The deluge continued as
Dillon Tatum blooped a run home, and then an
Adrian Damla squeezed home a fourth run in the inning for a 6-3 lead. The offense carried ovre to the eighth inning waiting until there were two outs before
Luke Spillane singled a run home, and
Jacob Castro followed with a single to score two more and push the advantage to 9-3.
Â
FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 9, UC SAN DIEGO 3
UCI scored its third sweep of a doubleheader this season, all coming in Big West series.
Michael Stanford earned the win for his first at the Division I level shutting the door on a UCSD rally in the seventh, and then closing down the end for 2.1 shutout innings.
Â
Michael Frias scuffled allowing three runs in his four innings, but got the support of his offense and five scoreless innings from the bullpen. Along with Stanford,
Tanner Brooks shutout the Tritons for 2.1 innings adding three strikeouts, and
Dylan Riddle got his one batter as well.
Quinby suffered the loss, his first of 2021, from four runs in just 0.1 innings. Starter Nic Gregson went 3.2 innings allowing two runs, Mattson held tough for 2.1 perfect innings and a pair of strikeouts.
UCI's offense spread the wealth around with six hitters knocking multiple hits and a trio with two RBIs. Peabody had a pair of hits, runs, and RBIs to go with his two-run double.
Nathan Church kept his impressive run going now with a 17-game hitting streak and 16 straight games with a run scored.
Thoughts from Head Coach Ben Orloff
Â
FINISHING UP
The four-game series comes to completion Sunday, April 11, with a 1:00 p.m. start.
Peter Van Loon and UCSD's Brandon Weed square off on the mound as the 'Eaters look for their 20th win overall.
