IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball opened Big West play with a 10-0 loss to Cal State Fullerton Friday night at Anteater Ballpark.

The Titans (7-7, 1-0) led from the jump after a pair of bloop singles and a bunt single right up the third baseline loaded the bases in the first three hitters. A grounder would get the first run home, but then a deep home run to left field by Nate Nankil cemented the four-run first inning for Fullerton leading, 4-0.

Cal State Fullerton added runs throughout with a pair in the second around an RBI triple. Another in the third to go up 7-0 before Anteater pitching threw up some zeroes. A pair of two-out hits in the sixth helped the Titans add to the advantage, and a single run in the eighth gave them a 10-0 lead.

The Anteaters (11-4, 0-1) struggled through a second straight game with minimal offense. Just six hits against Titan starter Tyler Stultz who tossed 8.1 innings of six-hit, shutout ball a year ago as he replicated that performance. UCI got a pair of runners on in multiple innings including the bases loaded in the ninth, but could not push anything across finishing shutout for the first time in 2023.

FINAL SCORE: CAL STATE FULLERTON 10, UC IRVINE 0
David Vizcaino dropped his first career game as an Anteater in his 14th career appearance, now 2-1 on the year and 7-1 in his career. Also on the mound making his debut in 2023 was Danny Suarez pitching the eighth inning allowing a run but finishing with a strikeout in his first innings in nearly a year.

At the dish, UCI got two-hit games from Anthony Martinez and Myles Smith with each reaching three times. "We're already aggressive when we're swinging, but we've got to be smarter at the plate, see better pitches, see the ball better, and be ready to hit, simple as that," stated the sophomore Myles Smith.

The Titans put up 14 hits with Maddox Latta posting four with four runs scored, three-hit games from Caden Connor and Cole Urman, and four RBIs on the night for Nate Nankil.

"Today they got our number, they got more hits, it happens, It's no excuse for us to do better and be better. We're going to come out tomorrow and give it our all, tie this series up, and take it Sunday. We're not worried at all. It happens, but we're going to come back tomorrow ready to go."

The series continues with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch on Saturday and Nick Pinto throwing against Fullerton starter Trevor Hinkel looking to even the series.