SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball split Saturday's doubleheader against Cal Poly at Baggett Stadium bouncing back from a walk-off loss in game one, 4-3, to power their way to a 4-1 victory.

GAME ONE
Cal Poly (17-13, 7-7) got a first-inning run from a solo home run off the bat of Brooks Lee to go up 1-0. The pitchers would take over riding that 1-0 score for the next six innings.

Pinto settled in allowing just four more hits escaping in the third and sixth innings with two runners on. Andrew Alvarez was mowing down Anteaters (20-11, 14-4) allowing just two hits through six with five strikeouts

ANTEATERS ATTACK
The seventh inning started with Luke Spillane hit by a pitch and the bases were soon loaded from a Dillon Tatum pinch-hit single and Jake Cosgrove reaching from an error on his sacrifice bunt. Alvarez battled back to strikeout the next two hitters bringing up Thomas McCaffrey. His grounder up the middle was snagged behind the bag by Nick Marinconz who tried to flip for the force and second, but a wild throw allowed a pair of 'Eaters to score and take a 2-1 lead.

ONE OUT AWAY
UCI entered the ninth now with a 3-1 lead, and after a pair of flyouts and a hit by pitch were one out away from sewing up a win. Taison Corio's grounder to third looked like it was destined for a final out, but a wide throw from Connor McGuire extended the game bringing home a run and sending Corio to third base.

Nick Pinto remained in looking to complete his game and the win, but issued a walk and a hit by pitch to load things up. Jacob King was summoned to end the inning, but uncorked a wild pitch quickly tying things up. The batter, Marinconz, atoned for his earlier blunder by knocking a single to complete Cal Poly's rally and even the series winning, 4-3.

FINAL SCORE: CAL POLY 4, UC IRVINE 3
Despite his valiant effort, Nick Pinto was saddled with the loss to go to 4-2 on the season. His 8.2 inning and 109 pitches were career highs allowing just one earned run along with three strikeouts. Alvarez for Cal Poly did not factor into the decision striking out seven through seven innings.

The 'Eaters scattered their offense with seven different hitters recording hits. Adrian Damla and Thomas McCaffrey each posted a hit and an RBI while Mike Peabody scored along with a hit. Nathan Church had his streaks ended following an 0-for-5 day finishing up with a 19-game hitting streak and 18-game streak scoring a run.

GAME TWO
The second game started similarly to Game 1 with Cal Poly scoring first again taking advantage of a wild pitch to move a runner across on a groundout in the second inning.

The starters battled through the first four innings with the 1-0 score with just three hits between the sides

GREAT TATUM
Catcher Dillon Tatum had the team's only hit from a second-inning double as the fifth inning started. He would provided a big lift bashing a home run to start the frame and tie things at 1-1. Jacob Castro followed him with a triple coming in to score on a sacrifice fly to put UCI ahead, 2-1.

The score remained the same in the seventh when Tatum started things off again, and once again he popped a solo home run to increase the lead to 3-1. Again, the 'Eaters would build on the momentum and boost another run home via sacrifice fly to go up 4-1.

Tatum's two-HR game marks the first of his career and fourth for the team in 2021 joining Mike Peabody and a pair from Luke Spillane. Tatum now has eight home runs on the season to lead the team and take over the active lead for Anteaters.

FRIAS A BIRD
Despite the early run, Anteater starter Michael Frias charged through the rest of his appearance. Frias allowed just the two hits in the second inning, one an infield single followed by a bunt single, and nothing else through a career high 117 pitches and eight innings. Frias matched his career high of nine strikeouts once again allowing the offense to get their feet and gain the lead.

FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 4, CAL POLY 1
Gordon Ingebritson would finish things off allowing a third Mustang hit en route to his first career save. Frias moved to 5-0 remaining in a tie for second most in the conference. Cal Poly's starter, Travis Weston matched UCI's pitching throwing a complete game of his own in a losing effort.

Tatum finished the afternoon 3-for-3 with a pair of runs and RBIs from the home runs. He reached on all five plate appearances on the day singling as a pinch-hitter in the first game and adding a walk in game two. Castro and Woody Hadeen each had two hits including Castro's second career triple.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ben Orloff
"It's a devastating loss. For us to say anything less would be downplaying it. Pinto was great, as good as he can pitch. We did enough offensively to put us in a position to win, just didn't get the last out."

"Frias was unbelievable - 2 hits in 8 innings, not many balls hit hard, that was the deepest he's gone and did a great job. We're at a point now where his stats matter, he is not a fluke, he's pitching really good."

"We've got to be able to win every game in every way possible. Last night, we win a game 11-6, tonight was two close, low-scoring games. Tatum was the hero with two balls over the fence, hits a double, pinch-hit single in the first game. There was a lot of unsung heroes. We scored 7 runs today, and two of them were because of Caden Kendle coming off the bench. He scores from second on a ball that doesn't leave the infield, then he goes first-to-third on a ball to right. We've got a lot of playing big roles in us doing well."

"We can't wait for tomorrow. We have a lot of faith in Peter. When he's right, he's as good as there is as a Game 4 starter. We expect him to come out here and give us a good start and try to win a series on the road."

SERIES FINALE
The series hangs in the balance as it moves to Sunday. Peter Van Loon and Bryce Warrecker duel on the mound starting at 1:00 p.m. with a chance for UC Irvine to take the series