SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball completed a sweep at Cal Poly Sunday in Baggett Stadium winning 10-8 in a game that see-sawed back and forth between the Big West contenders.
- In a game where the teams were tied three different times and five different lead changes, it came down to the ninth inning with UCI trailing 8-7 to start the frame
- UCI got the first two runners on base from a Landon Gaz single and Will Bermudez hit by pitch
- They quickly got two outs from a popped up bunt and then an infield fly following a pitching change
- Another hit by pitch, this time with two strikes, loaded the bases, and then Chase Call worked a full count walk to force in the tying run, 8-8
- Rowan Felsch came up looking for a breakthrough and delivered singling with two outs to bring home two and take the lead, 10-8
- Ricky Ojeda came back for the ninth inning and got the final out on a fly ball to the warning track with a runner on base to finish out the victory and the sweep
- After two pitching-heavy games to start the series, the offenses showed their teeth early and often Sunday
- Both sides scored in the first inning with Chase Call singling home a run in the top of the first and Cal Poly getting one on a double play to make it 1-1
- In the second, both offenses knocked out the opponent's starter with three home from UCI capped by a Jacob McCombs two-run single. Cal Poly got a run on a sac fly after forcing Ryder Brooks to exit from 1.1 innings
- The Mustangs fought back to tie things up after three, 4-4
- McCombs delivered another RBI to get the lead back in the fourth, 5-4
- The 'Eater offense struggled to add on leaving multiple opportunities on the table and leaving seven runners on base over the middle innings
- The Mustangs took advantage pulling forward in the fifth inning tying things up with a home run to leadoff the inning, and followed up with an RBI triple that later came home to make it a 7-5 deficit for the Anteaters
- UCI pushed back into it with an unearned run in the seventh and eighth innings to tie things up, 7-7, before the Mustangs got the lead right back in the bottom of the eighth setting up UCI's dramatic comeback
- UCI pounded out 13 hits with five players posting two-hit games
- Call reached all six times he came to bat with two hits, four walks, a run scored, and two driven in
- McCombs drove in three and scored twice while also reaching twice via hit by pitch
- Bermudez was hit by pitch as part of four times he reached base scoring three times
- Felsch entered as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning before coming up for his first at-bat in the ninth with the game-winning hit
- The Anteaters went through four pitchers Sunday with Ojeda getting the win on two innings to win his NCAA-leading 11th game
- David Butler held things down in three innings allowing one run. He struck out two with each pitcher on the afternoon posting multiple punchouts
- The win pushes UCI to 32-9 on the season and winners of seven straight. They also go four clear of Cal Poly in the Big West standings with a mark of 19-2
Next on the slate is a game in Angel Stadium on Tuesday night, First pitch is at 6:00 for the non-conference matchup with Cal State Fullerton with starters yet to be named. Tickets can still be purchased through ucirvinesports.com.
Postgame Thoughts from head coach Ben Orloff
"It's impressive with how much we've one that we have the fight to whatever it takes to win. That was on full display today, even in those early innings where we gave up bases loaded two times and gave up one run. Defense late, Chase with the game-saving play, Butler with three innings after going 1.1 yesterday, Ojeda with two innings after going four on Friday, Felsch and Gaz are heroes. Just a huge team win where the refuse to lose was on full display."
It was just a game of missed opportunities on both sides - they popped up a bunt, we popped up a bunt - but we came out with no errors and made some big defensive plays, and kept hanging around long enough. The two strike production there in that last inning - two-strike hit by pitch by McCombs, two-strike walk from Call, two-strike hit by Felsch, just clutch performances with the game on the line."
"We're feeling great. This was obviously a huge series, at this point of the year they're all huge series. These guys were 15-3 in conference and we played really well the first two nights, and today was about competition and really proud how we played through it all."
Â
Â
