IRVINE, Calif. --- A speedy Saturday night game at Anteater Ballpark was decided on a squeeze play giving UCI the 2-1 win over Iowa and clinching the series.

ARMED AND DANGEROUS
As expected, pitching was at the forefront in game two of this series. Nick Pinto and Dylan Nedved of Iowa went toe-to-toe and got to work early. The two allowed one hit between them in the first three innings, but did have to avert danger in each half of their second innings mostly on walks, but skated around it.

Both pitchers dealt with quality starts. Pinto shutout the Hawkeyes (6-7) through six innings of work and posted his fourth career game with nine or more strikeouts. Nedved in his first career start as a redshirt senior and the team's usual closer posted highs of seven innings and 94 pitches.

IOWA LEGEND
The offense started to come in the fourth inning with Iowa native Ben Fitzgerald right in the middle of it. Justin Torres reached base on a hit by pitch and stole second to get into scoring position with two outs. Fitzgerald would come up and get just enough off the end of the bat to flip UCI's (10-5) first hit of the day into short right field and score Torres for the lead. Fitzgerald would then steal second base before being stranded, but played a huge role later in the game as well.

THE 7TH INNING
The game remained 1-0 until the seventh and the 'Eaters handed things over to bullpen star Gordon Ingebritson. After two quick outs to start things, he went up against Michael Seegers who shot a ball inside the first base line and into the corner. The leadoff hitter was hustling for a triple, but was gifted home plate as well on a high throw to third base by Woody Hadeen to tie the game up, 1-1.

UCI responded in the bottom half of the inning a Fitzgerald smacked a double into the corner off Nedved. Following a Connor McGuire single, Jacob Castro emerged off the bench as a pinch-hitter and laid down the perfect squeeze bunt pushing it by Nedved who slipped on his fielding attempt to score Fitzgerald and take the lead back, 2-1.

FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 2, IOWA 1
Ingebritson would rebound and close out the game getting his final six hitters in order after a leadoff double by Keaton Anthony made things hairy in the eighth. Ingebritson earned his second win of the season with Pinto issued another no decision on a stellar outing.

The Anteaters once again posted just five hits in a victory with Fitzgerald carrying the torch with two, a run, an RBI, and also reached on a walk. Torres helped in his own way scoring the other Anteater run, but did not post an official at-bat with a walk and two hit by pitches. Iowa had just seven hits after 15 the night before.

UCI takes the series clinching it for their second series win in four weekend series this season. The Anteaters have now won five straight games and all by just one run.

The series concludes Sunday at 1:00 p.m. with Danny Suarez on the mound for the 'Eaters against Iowa righty, Ty Langenberg.