LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- A win-or-go-home Sunday for the Anteaters began with a win over Arizona State, 11-6, to reach the NCAA Regional Final falling in the nightcap, 8-5, to host UCLA at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Game 1 vs. Arizona State
- UC Irvine's day began in survival mode taking on Arizona State. The 'Eaters stayed alive with an 8-3 win Saturday matching them back up with the Sun Devils needing to win once again Sunday afternoon.
- Things started off well for the visitors as Will Bermudez singled and later came around on Anthony Martinez's RBI knock for a 1-0 lead.
- Arizona State returned the favor with a leadoff single that also came around making it 1-1 after the first
- UCI jolted back into the lead in the third inning from a long home run to right field by Jacob McCombs for a 2-1 lead
- The home run began a downpour of long balls on the warm Sunday afternoon
- Alonso Reyes took flight first taking a hit-and-run pitch deep to right field to double the run total and lead, 4-1
- Later in the inning, after Bermudez beat out a double play ball, Chase Call made it stand up with a 434-foot shot to center field capping a four-run inning to lead, 6-1
- Chase Call's next at-bat saw an even farther shot putting a ball 436 feet and out off ASU closer Cole Carlon for a 7-2 UCI lead
- The Sun Devils continued to push the envelope getting a solo home run in response to the four-run inning, and again closed the gap with three runs in the sixth inning to make it 7-5, UCI
- UCI's response was swift and a dagger to Arizona State's comeback thoughts
- James Castagnola touched one to the opposite field leaving the yard for a 9-5 lead
- After a defensive miscue by the Sun Devils put Reyes on base, Frankie Carney doubled down with a bunt single that was thrown up the right field line scoring Reyes from first and putting Carney on third base
- Will Bermudez capped it off with a double over the outfielder's heads for another four-run frame and an 11-5 lead
- Anteater pitching was just as impressive starting with Ryder Brooks
- The left-hander was called upon in the elimination game and did the job pitching into the sixth inning striking out three and doing enough to win his seventh game of the season
- Ricky Ojeda allowed an inherited runner to score, but held the line with 1.1 shutout innings
- David Utagawa really put his foot down stranding two runners on base, and closed out the final 2.1 innings on the mound allowing just one run and striking out three to push UCI into the regional final, 11-6
- UCI's 16 hits featured three-hit games from Bermudez and Carney
- Chase Call picked up his first career two-HR game giving him 30 on his career while driving in three
- Castagnola homered for the second straight day as one of five players with multiple hits and four scoring multiple runs
- Alonso Reyes clubbed just his second home run of the season as one of three 'Eaters with multiple RBIs
- Martinez had just one RBI, but it set him as the all-time Anteater career leader in the stat with 190 surpassing Jeff Malinoff whose mark had stood since 1974
UCI's reward was another game, it's 60th of the season, later on Sunday with another chance to extend their season taking on regional host and No. 15 national seed, UCLA.
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Game 2 vs. UCLA
The 'Eaters were looking to build on the momentum of the afternoon win, but UCLA instead got out on the front foot
- The Bruins put up a run in the first inning on three hits, and followed that up with three more hits and two runs the next inning to lead, 3-0
- After a quiet third inning, the Bruin bats got back to work adding a run on a Roch Cholowsky sacrifice fly, and then the crushing blow from Mulivai Levu in an opposite field three-run home run. The Bruins returned to plate a fifth run in the inning to take a commanding 8-0 lead mid-way through the fourth inning
- The Anteaters began their long road back by loading the bases in the bottom of the inning and getting on the board on a sharp RBI single by James Castagnola. A groundout by Alonso Reyes made it a two-run inning to cut into the deficit, 8-2
- The next inning, UCI got another bases loaded hit as Anthony Martinez sliced a shot inside the left field line scoring two more to bring the game within 8-4
- Alonso Reyes would leave the yard for a second time on the day to leadoff the sixth inning and put the game within reach at 8-5
- UCI left a few too many people on base missing a couple opportunities throughout the game, none bigger than a bases loaded chance in the seventh inning while trailing by three, but a borderline full-count call went to UCLA leading to a strikeout and ending the seventh still in an 8-5 game
- Jack Ross held the score tight down the stretch posting three scoreless innings through the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings on the mound, and Max Martin did so as well in the ninth inning, but the offense could not keep up the run-scoring as the season ended in a 1-2-3 ninth inning and an 8-5 loss
- UC Irvine's offense managed just six hits while putting good use to a lot of the seven walks they earned
- Castagnola had the team's lone multi-hit game adding an RBI
- Martinez reached three times while driving in two joining Reyes with two RBIs on his end
- Chase Call while facing his brother in the game reached three times scoring twice for the 'Eaters
- Los Angeles Regional All-Tournament Team was named following the tournament with four Anteater represented - Alonso Reyes, Ricky Ojeda, Jacob McCombs, and Chase Call
UC Irvine season ends in the NCAA Regional Final for a second straight season and third time in the last five years. UCI's record ends at 43-17.
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