RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- A much tighter matchup than the previous two between UC Irvine and UC Riverside commenced on Sunday with the hosts winning in their final at-bat, 3-2, to spoil UCI's sweep ideas at Riverside Sports Complex.

SCORING PREMIUM
After two previous games that saw 13 and 14 runs scored by UC Irvine (28-21, 13-11), the UC Riverside (8-39, 4-23) pitching staff matched the 'Eaters through the early going keeping UCI off the scoreboard in the first.

The Anteaters did push a run across in the second after Dub Gleed would come around on a double and two fly balls for a 1-0 advantage.

Cameron Wheeler continued UCI's brilliant starting pitching on the weekend with four scoreless innings danced around four hits and two hit by pitch.

NEAR MISSES
The Highlanders continued to chip away at the pitching staff and finally broke through in the fifth loading the bases and beating out an inning-ending double play to tie the game at 1-1.

The score held into the eighth inning as Caden Kendle reached on a single. A pair of productive outs put him on third base, and a wild pitch was all it took to to put the 'Eaters back on top, 2-1.

FINAL SCORE: UC RIVERSIDE 3, UC IRVINE 2
The lead changed hands one final time as the Highlanders took advantage of a leadoff walk which came around on a one-out double to tie things at 2-2. Following a wild pitch and a strikeout, UCR got the hit it sorely needed from Jacob Badawi into left field scoring the game-winning run with two outs in the ninth.

UCI's prolific offense over the weekend was limited to five hits with two coming from Caden Kendle in the leadoff spot scoring a run.

The Anteaters return home for its final homestand starting Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. against No. 23 UCLA followed by the final weekend series hosting CSU Bakersfield.