IRVINE, Calif. --- A chaotic Friday night game between UC Irvine and Iowa in Anteater Ballpark went the Anteaters' way scoring the 7-6 victory.

NO SIGN OF TROUBLE
The early stages of Friday's game showed no signs out of the ordinary. Both squads got baserunners on early testing starters Michael Frias and Adam Mazur, but each pitched will to dodge any runs.

Frias got into more of the jams stranding runners in each of the first four innings while collecting five strikeouts. Mazur allowed just three hits with one leaving the infield and setting down seven on strikes.

The Hawkeyes (6-6) slowly built a solid three-run lead with single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings on a pair of sacrifice flies and a groundout to lead 3-0.

WALK HARD
UCI (9-5) was unable to figure out Mazur through four innings scattering their three hits. The talented right-hander even got the first hitter of the fifth on two pitches, but the wheels would soon come off.

Mazur lost his control walking the next three hitters. After getting a strikeout of Thomas McCaffrey with two outs, he gifted the Anteaters a run on a wild pitch and put the tying run on second base, and Dub Gleed came through with a two-out, two strike single to the opposite field to not only tie the game but end the day for Mazur.

UCI was back at it in the sixth inning against reliever Will Christophersen who had not issued a walk on the season before tonight. He would go on to walk the first two hitters of the sixth on nine pitches. After a successful double steal, Christophersen balked to allow in the go-ahead run from third for a 4-3 'Eater lead. He would quickly respond with a strikeout for the second out, but then a hit by pitch of Woody Hadeen made way for Nathan Church who added to the lead with a single to right field to make it 5-3.

The play of the game happened next on a wild pitch. An inside pitch to Jacob Castro was too wide for catcher Brett McCleary and went to the backstop allowing Hadeen to score the sixth run. On the play, Church attempted to go from first to third and forced a throw that went through the third baseman and into left field bringing home Church on the play as well leading to a fourth run in the inning and 7-3 lead.

UCI completed their unconventional comeback with seven runs in two innings using just two hits.

TAYLOR MADE
The Hawkeyes continued to battle coming right back with three runs in the top of the inning off Andre Antone and Cooper Robinson, but two were left on base and the Anteaters clung to the 7-6 lead.

On came Troy Taylor in a high-leverage situation still up a run with a runner on second and one out in the eighth to face the heart of Iowa's order: Peyton Williams and Keaton Anthony. Williams battled, but popped up putting it all on Anthony who eventually struck out after a battle of his own.

A pumped-up Taylor returned for the ninth inning, but was immediately back in trouble after a leadoff double. The first-year Anteater rared back and got a strikeout, groundout, and game-ending flyout to cement the victory.

FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 7, IOWA 6
The three-run deficit matches the largest margin UCI has made up in a win this season. The win went to Andre Antone for his first of the year with Troy Taylor collecting his second save.

"Coming in and just trying to have fun. As a pitcher, that's the position you want to be in in a close game and want to compete, and I learned early that they were sitting breaking ball so I just went in with my best fastball and seeing what they've got and had some fun." Antone noted that he and the entire bullpen have galvanized in the early season each getting each other's back and stepping up as a unit. "Coop as a freshman is awesome and has a really great mentality. He's really mature for his age, and that's the thing in the bullpen - we all have each other's backs. It's just how it is, it's a good group down there."

The bullpen having gone 11.2 scoreless innings against Arizona State was taxed Friday night allowing three of the six runs to Iowa. Frias and the staff did strikeout 12 Hawkeyes while Iowa and its impressive pitching staff chopped down 13 Anteater hitters.

The 'Eaters scored their seven runs courtesy of just five hits and three that left the infield. Church had the only multi-hit effort for UCI compared to five for Iowa amongst their 15 hits. UCI's six walks and two hit by pitches from seven different players played a huge role. Abraham Garcia-Pacheco was the only one to have one of each. Church and Hadeen each scored twice with Church swiping one of three bags for the Anteaters. Dub Gleed had two RBIs on the night of UCI's three they recorded on seven runs.

The series continues on Saturday with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch. Nick Pinto and Dylan Nedved duel on the mound.

Postgame Thoughts from Head Coach Ben Orloff
"Offensively, the value of the walk and the hit by pitch. Six walks, two hit by pitch, some of those were earned. That and some really good, aggressive baserunning, and you throw in a big hit by Church, big hit by Dub. On the mound, Antone came in and really stabilized that game for us and got us in the position to be in the game late. Troy Taylor also in that eighth inning against Williams and Anthony turns out to be the story of the game."

"When you get 4.2 IP out of Frias against the guy they're throwing and you get a win, that's a great job by the bullpen and by the defense as a whole and a very opportunistic offense."

"The aggressive baserunning is a lot of guys seeing the game and making the plays on their own. It's Church seeing the play, being aggressive, knowing how well these guys pitch, we've to be aggressive. Him being bold and aggressive and putting pressure on them earns us that run and turns out to be the winner."