LA JOLLA, Calif. --- The Anteater offense unloaded with nine runs in the first two innings Friday night at Triton Ballpark only to fend off a charging UC San Diego squad in order to win the weekend opener, 11-7.

TONE SETTERS
The game started off with a bang from Anteater leadoff hitter Ben Fitzgerald walloping a home run off the top of the right field scoreboard for an early 1-0 lead. The rest of the lineup would follow suit starting the game with four more hits in a row to go on top 4-0.

The second inning was more of the same getting the first two on base before Dub Gleed brought them around with a two-run double and a 6-0 lead. The score remained that until there were two outs and Luke Spillane punched a triple into right center to score two more. Caden Kendle finished the rally with a run-scoring single giving UCI (18-10, 7-3) a 9-0 advantage in just the second inning.

REAR VIEW MIRROR
The host Tritons (11-18, 3-4) found their bats a little late, but got back into the game slowly starting with a leadoff walk in the second that came around on a triple from the next batter. UCSD would bring that triple around for two runs in their second inning, and added an emphatic third run in the third on a long home run by Jalen Smith.

NIck Pinto settled down in the fourth, but quickly loaded the bases in the fifth forcing him to exit early after sacrifice fly. A dribbler inside the third-base bag brought home two more to close the gap to 9-6 after five innings.

FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 11, UC SAN DIEGO 7
UCI's pitching settled down thanks to Gordon Ingebritson, Tanner Brooks, and Troy Taylor down the stretch striking out six over the final 4.2 innings. Ingebritson took the win for his fifth this season, and once again struck with hard luck was Nick Pinto with a no decision and five earned runs over 4.1 innings.

The offense helped put some distance with a bases loaded walk in the seventh and a towering ninth-inning home run by Caden Kendle for the first of his career for the 11th Anteater run. On the night, UCI pounded out 14 hits with three-hit games for Nathan Church, Dub Gleed, and Caden Kendle.

"We just watned to come out here, play hard, win on a Friday night and just compete." Kendle reached in all five plate appearances on the night with a run scored and two RBIs. "My mentality tonight was a bit different; I was more aggressive and wanting to swing the bat. I didn't care about the results, just wanted to compete every pitch. Rounding the bases after the homer was fun, I've never done that before so it felt good."

The offense's early surge was felt throughout the lineup with eight different 'Eaters scoring a run and five players drove in a pair. Gleed was Fitzgerald were Anteaters to have two of each thanks to Gleed's pair of doubles and Fitzgerald's leadoff home run for his fourth to return to the team lead.

UCI improves to 7-3 in Big West play with the win to open the weekend and in its first game at UC San Diego since 1974. The series continues with two more starting Saturday, April 9, and a 2:00 p.m. start with Michael Frias squaring off with UCSD's Noah Conlon.

Postgame Thoughts from Head Coach Ben Orloff
"The nine runs out of the gate was awesome. It was a collective at-bat after at-bat that was really good to see and what we're capable of and you hope it's contagious. Still it got tight after that type of lead, but it was really good to come out and score early."

"The bullpen again was great. You would have wished that you'd have a runaway game on a Friday night and save some guys, but this wasn't that. This is college baseball and all games end up being decided by three runs or less it seems. So its good to win and we're hoping for a deep start tomorrow out of Frias."