IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball rode their starters Saturday winning both games of the doubleheader over UC Riverside, 5-2 and 8-1, at Anteater Ballpark.
GAME 1
The day started off with fireworks on both sides. Travis Bohall led off the game with a home run to left field off UCI starter
Nick Pinto to go up, 1-0. In the bottom half of the first,
Jake Palmer led off for the 'Eaters (32-15, 24-7) and he belted a home run to right field to start the frame off evening things back up, 1-1.
Â
Each side added a run, first the Highlanders (14-28, 12-23) loading the bases in the second from a pair of singles and an error. Pinto didn't break getting a strikeout and letting up a run on a fielder's choice, but kept UCR to just a 2-1 lead.
UCI was quickly down to two outs in the third, but a walk and single brought up
Mike Peabody who singled a run in to tie things back up, 2-2.
Â
PINTO PARTY
After his shaky start, Pinto settled in nicely striking out multiple batters through each of his first four innings. He added a strikeout in a scoreless fifth for his 10th of the day, and then another in the sixth. He came out for one batter in the seventh and got the strikeout there for his 12th on the day, a new career high and the most for a UC Irvine pitching since
Andre Pallante in 2018.
Â
All the while, the 'Eaters were getting him a lead putting up a pair of sacrifice flies in the fourth.
Mike Peabody added to the lead in the fifth launching a home run of his own out to center field to make it a 5-2 lead.
Â
GAME 1 FINAL SCORE: #24 UC IRVINE 5, UC RIVERSIDE 2
Pinto got back in the column for the first time in five starts now 5-3 on the year. Only one of the runs he relented was earned as he walked one and scattered six hits. The 12 strikeouts mark the 25th time an Anteater has struck out 12 or more hitters in a game.
Josh Ibarra came on for the hold, his first and the team's fifth of the year, retiring five of his six hitters.
Jacob King saved the second straight game for UCI giving him six on the year.
Jake Palmer led the offense with his second career home run, first at Cicerone Field, and reached in all four plate appearances walking three times, scoring twice, stealing a base, and driving in one. Peabody joined him with the home run, his seventh on the season and 10th in his career, while driving in a pair.
Bohall had both RBIs for the Highlanders while Jacob Shanks had two of the team's seven hits. Tyler Frazier pitched well through six innings allowing five runs and striking out two while taking the loss.
GAME 2
The doubleheader finale started rough for
Michael Frias tossing a four-pitch walk to Bohall, and quickly he was on third base from a stolen base and wild pitch. Frias rared back to strikeout the next two hitters, and then fielded a comebacker to escape the inning without a run allowed.
The bottom of the inning saw the 'Eaters take the early lead for once as
Nathan Church laced a shot just over the center field wall for a home run and 1-0 lead.
Â
Frias continued to sail along, and the offense followed adding three runs in the third inning. A throwing error from first baseman Joey Nicolai trying to start a double play help move Taishi around to score after he and
Jake Palmer started the inning with singles to make it 2-0. Peabody again was on the scene to drive in Anteaters singling into right-center to add two more in the inning for a 4-0 UCI lead after three.
The offense kept adding with single runs in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth slowly building a bigger and bigger lead until it was 8-1.
Â
FIERY FRIAS
Frias followed Pinto's outing trying to better him. Like his previous start at UCSB, Frias carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and like that start, he allowed his first hit to the first hitter in the sixth inning. A few more soft liners dropped in giving UCR it's lone run in the game and stopping Frias' shutout streak at 20.2 innings.
Nothing else was working against the fourth-year pitcher who gave up just those three hits in eight innings while striking out seven. He needed just 94 pitches which included four separate innings in which he threw less than 10 pitches.
Â
GAME 2 FINAL SCORE: #24 UC IRVINE 8, UC RIVERSIDE 1
Frias improved to 8-0 on the year while his ERA continued to dwindle down to 2.30. It was his sixth quality start on the year, and the third time he's taken a no-hitter through five innings.
Tanner Brooks helped tidy things up with a scoreless ninth inning picking up a strikeout.
Â
Church led the charge at the plate with three hits, his third home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Palmer and
Taishi Nakawake each had two hits and two runs while Peabody added two more RBIs.
The 'Eaters have now won six of their eight Big West series this year with one game remaining in this series with UC Riverside. Wins 23 and 24 in Big West play mark the most for the Anteaters in any year. The Saturday sweep is also the fifth for UCI this year in the nine doubleheaders they've played with the other four finishing as splits.
Tucker Juline allowed six runs, five earned, in his 4.2 innings of work, but was saddled with the loss.
Postgame Quotes
Nick Pinto - "My curveball felt pretty good today. I was throwing for strikes a lot early on. Towards the end, I was getting two strikes on guys and they were guessing curveballs and I threw a couple fastballs in there and by a couple guys."
"It's awesome to have the offense and defense playing great like they did today. It's fun pitching with something like that."
Michael Frias - "I'm just trying to go out there and make competitive pitches. I know that if I do my plan then no one can beat me so it's just good height, throw multiple pitches for strikes, and its going to be a tough day for any offense."
"Feels awesome to get another win. I'm so ready to put some numbers up on the scoreboard. It's good to be winning, and it's fun to win and you can see it in the guys."
SERIES FINALE
The weekend wraps up Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch between the 'Eaters and Highlanders.
Peter Van Loon starts for UCI going against UCR's Eric Marrujo.
