UC Irvine Falls Short in Series Finale, 4-2

Sunday, February 22

Irvine, Calif.

1:00 PM

UC Irvine

5-2

California

4-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
California	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	4	6	1
UC Irvine	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	8	1

Photo by: Matt Brown

UC Irvine Falls Short in Series Finale, 4-2

February 22, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball came up short Sunday falling 4-2 to California at Anteater Ballpark to drop the weekend series.

The Golden Bears were able to strike for another first-inning run moving around a leadoff double with ground ball outs for a 1-0 lead
- Cal got another run home in the third with the same two guys in the mix; Hideki Prather reaching base and Daniel Murillo driving him in for a 2-0 lead
Starter Cade Castles worked through four innings, his longest outing as an Anteater, allowing two hits
- Tim Grack entered and was hit around a little allowing an earned run, and gave up an unearned run when he threw away a ball on a runner he had picked off to give California a lead of 4-0.
- Grack eventually settled in and Ryder Brooks joined him throw scoreless baseball over the final four innings with the pair striking out six between them
The offense was stuck in neutral most of the game. Auggie Gutierrez had the only hit and baserunner through the first three innings, and he finished with two hits and reached base all four times.
- The 'Eaters got traffic on the basepaths in the middle innings including loading the bases in the fourth on three singles, but UCI could not break through on the scoreboard leaving six baserunners on.
- UCI finally got a run across in the seventh after the first two hitters reached. Zach Fjelstad punched a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1
- Alonso Reyes got one of his three hits to start the eighth aided by the sun for a triple later scoring on a Landon Gaz groundball to make it 4-2.
UC Irvine still struggled to plate runners leaving a total of 12 on base including in the ninth inning as they loaded the bases, but a groundout sealed the game.

California 4, UC Irvine 2

The Anteaters fall to 5-2 after winning the first five games of the season.
The 'Eaters out-hit Cal, 8-6, including three hits by Reyes and multi-hit games by Fjelstad and Gutierrez. That trio reached base a combined 10 times in 14 plate appearances adding a pair of sacrifices and both runs scored.

Next up is a pair of midweek matchups to wrap up the homestand. Starting Tuesday, UCI hosts Grand Canyon with first pitch at 6:00 p.m. followed by a 1:00 p.m. first pitch Wednesday, February 25