PHOENIX, Ariz. --- UC Irvine baseball found a way to a series win Saturday over Arizona State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium using more big innings and hits, and just enough pitching to hold off a ninth-inning Sun Devil rally for a 10-9 victory.

EARLY FIREWORKS
UCI's afternoon began with a lead scoring a run in the second inning. Another error put leadoff hitter Dub Gleed on base who would score later in the inning on Abraham Garcia-Pacheco's single to go up, 1-0.
Another run came in the third inning in Will Bermudez who doubled to start off the frame and came home on Gleed's sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Again in the fourth inning UC Irvine (9-1) stretched their lead by another run as Myles Smith torched a triple to begin the frame. Garcia-Pacheco was there again to single him home to build a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Arizona State (6-4) came right back in the fourth inning wiping away the three-run advantage. Two singles to start off the frame were followed by Jacob Tobias with a triple of his own to plate them. He would come around on a sac fly off reliever Andre Antone, but he would settle down the inning including picking off the go-ahead runner for a 3-3 deadlock through four innings.

ANSWERING THE CALL
The Anteaters jumped right back in front getting to starter Khristian Curtis loading the bases in the fifth. With two outs, Brock Peery entered in relief of Curtis, but his first pitch plunked Myles Smith to force in the go-ahead run. Right behind Smith again was Garcia-Pacheco dropping another hit just in front of the left fielder for two more runs to put the lead back at three runs, 6-3.

The Sun Devils kept up with the Anteater offense with help from a pair of walks to start their fifth. A double into the corner made it a two-run ballgame before Michael Stanford took the mound for a second straight day. A first-pitch popout helped settle the rally, and after an RBI groundout, he got the third out stranding the tying run on third base to remain ahead by the slim 6-5 margin through five innings.

With the game teetering at 6-5 for innings, the 'Eaters were gifted the bases loaded in the eighth inning from a pair of hit by pitch and a walk. A short fly ball with one out was not enough to get a run home, but Chase Call took care of all of that with a home run the other way with two outs for a grand slam to open the lead up to 10-5 in the eighth.

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FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 10, ARIZONA STATE 9
A nervous ninth inning started with four walks and a hit by pitch from Jacob King to plate two runs for the Sun Devils. Freshman Max Martin entered with just one out and the bases full of Sun Devils and found a way despite a two-run single closing the door with a groundout of the dangerous Jacob Tobias.

The win secures another series win for UCI, now 9-1 on the year and 4-0 against Pac-12 schools.

"We controlled the game for sure," head coach Ben Orloff noted. "King's been lights out so this is the aberration. I knew the whole we were going to win in a big spot, a freshman that doesn't act like a freshman, and made some big pitches against their lineup. We've required a lot of the bullpen and they've answered the bell every time. Stanford and Brooks coming in clutch and throwing four perfect innings to let us play from ahead."

Martin's tense inning locks up his second save of the year and rewarded Andre Antone with his second win. The bullpen came up big with four shutout innings from Michael Stanford and Tanner Brooks each earning holds on the day. Riley Kelly went a pair of shutout frames to start as well striking out four.

The offense came through again reaching 10 runs for the fourth straight game. Abraham Garcia-Pacheco one of the heroes starting after a day off Friday to go 4-for-4 with four RBIs and walked. Chase Call's timely grand slam was the third home run of his season and career bringing home four RBIs as well.

"Call just keeps getting better and better and keeps giving us production, and Bam after the Friday off gets four hits and the walk, a lot of different guys contributing, it makes it fun."

FINALE
Sunday's series finale will start at 11:30 a.m. PST with Nick Pinto tossing the first pitch. UCI looks for its second sweep of the year and to collect a second five-game win streak on the season.