IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball got back in the win column topping Cal State Bakersfield, 10-3, Friday night in Anteater Ballpark.
- The 'Eaters got going early with three first-inning runs. Anthony Martinez lashed a single up the middle to make it 1-0, and Thomas McCaffrey's ground-rule double made it a 2-0 first inning lead
- UCI added three runs in the second inning with Martinez and McCaffrey at it again. Martinez grounded out with the bases loaded to make it 3-0, and McCaffrey singled through the middle to score the other two for a 5-0 Anteater lead.
- After a CSUB run in the fifth, Martinez responded with a two-run double to put some distance between the 'Eaters and Roadrunners in what would be a three-run frame and 8-1 lead
- Nick Pinto walked a tightrope scattering eight hits in his six innings, but clutched up when he needed to with a season-best nine strikeouts and only allowing one run.
- Pinto drew even and surpassed Brett Smith in career strikeouts to move to fifth in Anteater history
- Pinto improves to 4-1 on the year and scores his 21st career win, tying him for 12th in UCI history
- Despite getting out-hit 14-13, Martinez led all hitter with a four-hit night driving in four. Also notable on the night were Will Bermudez with three hits, two doubles, and two runs, three-run nights for Woody Hadeen and Jo Oyama, and Dub Gleed reaching all five times with four walks and a HBP
The weekend started off with a UC Irvine win to go to 16-3 on the season and draw even atop the Big West at 3-1. Saturday's second game of the weekend begins at 1:00 p.m. with Anteater
Trevor Hansen and Roadrunner Jacob Gutierrez squaring off on the mound
Postgame Thoughts with Anthony Martinez
"We're just trying to hit the ball hard, that's all of our approach. We knew their Friday guy would be legit so we had to focus in and do what we do, and it was good to get the lead early and play from ahead."
"It's a lot easier for Pinto when he knows that any ball that gets hit is going to be an out. He did a great job even with not having his best stuff, he was still dominant."
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