IRVINE, Calif. --- For a second straight game, the 'Eaters got a walkoff win to drop Oregon State in Anteater Ballpark. This time, it came in the 12th inning of Sunday's game to take the series and win, 7-6.
FALLING BEHIND
Oregon State (26-12, 10-5) got the jump on the game Sunday still sore from Saturday's ending and wasted no time with a four-run first inning. The first two hitters walked and singled coming around RBI singles by Garret Forrester and Joe Casey. Two more would come around on the first of four Andy Armstrong hits on the afternoon, this one with two outs to put the 'Eaters in a hole.
The Beavers added a nice insurance run in the third as Casey stepped back up and rocked a
Michael Frias pitch out for a home run to leadoff the inning and have OSU up, 5-0.
RETURNING THE FAVOR
Oregon State starter Jake Pfennigs had had his way with the 'Eaters through two innings, but UC Irvine (24-12, 16-4) got things going in the third inning with a dropped third strike and throwing error of all things to start the frame. With two on now,
Jake Palmer whacked a triple into the corner to plate each of them, and then Palmer came around on a wild pitch for a three-run inning.
The Anteaters got to work again in the fourth inning with Palmer making noise again driving a run home on an infield single with two outs, and then
Nathan Church completed the comeback singling another two-out run home to tie things at 5-5 in the fourth.
EVENLY MATCHED
The bullpens took over from there after starters Frias and Pfennigs each failed to complete three innings. Both sides were nearly immaculate turning down every offensive advance that came their way.
The seventh inning saw each side's hull crack a little as Kyle Froemke came up as a pinch-hitter and mashed a solo home run to left-center with two outs off
Dylan Riddle and retake the lead for the Beavers. In UCI's half of the inning,
Mike Peabody went to the opposite field for a home run of his own off Bryant Salgado who had not allowed a run all year, and suddenly it was back tied, 6-6.
Each side got stellar work from the likes of
Jacob King (3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K) on the UCI side and scoreless ball from Beavers Nathan Burns and Jake Mulholland.
EXTRA STRENGTH
The sides went deep into the game playing multiple extra innings for the second time this weekend.
Gordon Ingebritson and Reid Sebby each kept the offenses at arm's length, but a leadoff
Nathan Church double in the 12th got the wheels rolling for UCI.
An intentional walk to
Mike Peabody and sacrifice bunt from
Luke Spillane had the 'Eaters in a prime situation with two in scoring position and just one out.
Thomas McCaffrey stepped up after entering the game just a couple innings before, and on the first pitch of his first plate appearance whacked a liner into left field that dropped in for the game-winning single.
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FINAL SCORE (12 INNINGS): UC IRVINE 7, OREGON STATE 6
For just the third time in history, the 'Eaters won consecutive games via walk-off. It first happened in 1988 and then again during the 2007 College World Series.
The win over the highly-touted Oregon State Beavers gives UCI a winning record against Pac-12 teams this season at 7-6, and they finish non-conference play with an 11-10 mark.
Jake Palmer was one of the offensive heroes finishing with six RBIs on the weekend after three today on a pair of hits including his second career triple. Church added two hits, a run, and an RBI. Peabody's home run was his fifth this year, and came in a spot where he had struck out three times already coming into the at-bat.
Oregon State wasted a four-hit day from Andy Armstrong along with his two RBIs. Forrester finished with three hits for OSU with an RBI and a run. Joe Casey had two of each along with his home run with his two hits.
The Anteater bullpen allowed just a single run in 9.2 innings of work. Ingebritson, who worked all three games in the series, earned his second win after retiring all six hitters he faced. Others that worked scoreless outings were
Michael Stanford and
Andre Antone with an inning each,
Troy Wentworth retiring all five he faced, and three scoreless from
Jacob King. Reid Sebby took the loss on Oregon State's side in which they got scoreless outings from Nathan Burns and Jake Mulholland.
Thoughts from Head Coach Ben Orloff
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BACK TO BIG WEST
The next series plops the 'Eaters back into the competitive Big West for four games against Long Beach State in Anteater Ballpark. Friday, April 30, the series will open with a 3:00 p.m. first pitch. A doubleheader follows on Saturday, and Sunday's 1:00 p.m. start wraps things up with all four games shown on ESPN3.
