IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball kicked off conference play with a walk-off 1-0 victory Friday night over UC Davis in Anteater Ballpark.
- A scoreless game stayed until the bottom of the ninth when the Anteaters finally strung together some hits and the game's only run
- Caden Kendle knocked a one-out single to center field, his second hit of the night helping him extend his on-base streak to 59 games
- Anthony Martinez followed lashing a double into the corner which looked to score the game-winning run in Kendle, but he pulled up lame in between third and home and was easily tagged out taking the air out of the ballpark and extending the tie game
- Dub Gleed came to the rescue the very next hitter lining a single over the second baseman's head and driving home the winning run, 1-0
- The two starting pitchers stole the show both throwing shutout, nearly hitless baseball
- Nick Pinto dazzled for eight inning scattering three Aggie hits while striking out seven. He now has 265 career strikeouts as he passed Andre Pallante for sixth on the all-time list in the game
- UC Davis lefty Bryan Green went pitch-for-pitch with Pinto over seven innings allowing just two Anteater hits, stranding four walks, and striking out five
- Neither figured in the decision as Ricky Tibbett took the win pitching the ninth inning for his first at UC Irvine and eighth in his collegiate career
- The walkoff was UCI's first since March 28, 2023, and the first win in the team's final at-bat of 2023. UCI is now 3-0 in one-run games this year.
- The speedy contest took only 1:55 to play, the quickest for a UC Irvine ballgame since an hour-55 minute game vs. CSUN in 2017
The sides meet up against Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch and freshman
Trevor Hansen throwing against Aggie right-hander Noel Valdez
Postgame Thoughts
Dub Gleed -
"It's a tough battle. Their starter did well. We had a tough time in the beginning, but I just wanted to do it for the team. We're struggling early; I tried to do anything I could with two strikes. I knew he was going to throw me a fastball, especially with first base open, so I was trying to sit offspeed, he has a pretty good one, and luckily he hung it and that was pretty good."
"Nick's been unbelievable the whole year. Even while I wasn't playing, it was so much fun watching from the dugout, watching him go about his business. It's really easy to play defense behind him when he's really dealing. Seems like every weekend he's doing it so it's pretty easy to play behind him. He's a great guy and he did great tonight."
Nick Pinto -
"I felt great. I was getting a little tired at the end, but then when Dub hit the walkoff I was raedy to go full speed into left field with him. I had everything working tonight and I felt good out there."
"That's a great way to start a series. Ricky is amazing. We all have full confidence in him when he goes in there so we're never too worried when he's on the mound."
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