LUBBOCK, Tex. --- UC Irvine baseball settled in after some hectic opening innings Friday afternoon at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park to win the opening game, 6-4, over Texas Tech.
- The lead swung between UC Irvine and Texas Tech through the first four innings
- UCI got on the board in the top of the first with a full-count, two-out single by James Castagnola, 1-0
- Texas Tech evened the score as the very first batter of their first inning homered inside the left field foul pole to make it 1-1
- The Red Raiders scored after an errant pickoff throw and fielder's choice to go up, 2-1, in the second, but UCI stranded five TTU runners in the first two innings
- UCI got some help in the third as TTU's right fielder dove and missed a Jacob McCombs for a line drive triple to tie it, 2-2, and Castagnola delivered another two-out single to grab the lead back 3-2
- The Red Raiders clapped back with a two-run home run in their third for another lead change, 4-3
- UCI's two-out magic continued as Will Bermudez singled to tie the game again, 4-4, and Colin Yeaman ripped a double in the alley to go back ahead, 5-4
- The bullpens finally took control with just one combined run allowed over the final half of the contest
- That one run was a titanic home run by Jacob McCombs to lengthen the lead to 6-4 in the fifth
- Riley Kelly came on to spell Danny Suarez in the fourth and proceeded to toss one-hit ball over 3.1 innings
- Ricky Ojeda helped stranded two inherited runners in the seventh and wrap up a three-innings save allowing one hit and striking out three
- Texas Tech held their own with Zane Petty and Logan Bevis shutting out UCI for the remaining four innings
- The bats were led by McCombs who missed a cycle by a double driving home two on four hits
- James Castagnola's streak continued now with two hits in each of the team's first five games and driving in two
- Colin Yeaman also had two hits to go with two runs and an RBI
- UCI improves to 25-7 all-time in the state of Texas and evens the all-time series with TTU to 1-1
The weekend series continues Saturday with a 12:00 p.m. PT start in Lubbock.
Jack Ross takes the mound for the Anteaters against Texas Tech's Lukas Pirko
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