Anteaters Prevail in Tuesday Pitchers Duel, 3-0

Tuesday, February 24

Irvine, Calif.

6:00 PM

UC Irvine

6-2

Grand Canyon

2-6

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

hunter-manning-uci-bsb-2026-sandiegostate-grandcanyon

Photo by: Samantha Tran

Anteaters Prevail in Tuesday Pitchers Duel, 3-0

February 24, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball outlasted Grand Canyon Tuesday night in Anteater Ballpark in a game dominating by pitching winning 3-0 to open the midweek series.

Veteran starters Finnegan Wall and Elijah Higginbottom went toe-to-toe matching each other pitch-for-pitch and out-for-out with five innings each of shutout baseball
- Wall was the only one that got into any real trouble starting with a single and two walks to load the bases in the first inning, but he got the groundball he needed for an inning-ending double play
- He would follow with a 1-2-3 second inning, and then GCU added baserunners in each of the next two, but Wall shut down those threats including stranding a runner in scoring position in the third and fifth
- The offense struggled to put anything together against Higginbottom getting runners to second base on a first-inning double and again with single and sacrifice in the fifth, but nothing more. UCI nearly got the run home in the fifth if not for a spectacular diving play on a grounder by Lopes second baseman Vince Bianchina to end the inning.
The bullpens were next up starting in the sixth inning.
- For UCI it was freshman Hunter Manning who gave up just a leadoff walk in the seventh while piling up four strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Peyton Rodgers relieved him in the eighth and promptly gave up two hits before exiting with the 0-0 score intact.
- Grand Canyon relied on Tommy McGuire who gave up a single in his first two innings
The eighth inning finally brought some signs of life for the offenses
- UCI began the bottom of the eighth with a hit by pitch before a likely double play ball was kicked by the GCU shortstop to put things in motion
- After an out, Zach Fjelstad ripped a single the other way to plate Efren Ortega and break the scoreless tie, 1-0
- After a single to load the bases, Alonso Reyes battled back to work a walk forcing another run home
- Rowan Felsch came up next and went down on strikes, but somehow UCI found a way to score a run after Zach Fjelstad forgot how many outs there were and caught off third base. He stayed in a rundown long enough to take advantage of no one covering home for the Lopes to score a third run in the inning on a triple steal
Ryder Brooks was called upon to seal the victory and did so after a leadoff single was left on base to earn his second save in a 3-0 victory.

UC Irvine 3, Grand Canyon 0

Zach Fjelstad emerged the offensive hero for UCI with three of the six hits, an RBI that went down as the game-winner, a run, and a stolen base
Finnegan Wall scattered seven baserunners in five innings with four hits and six strikeouts.
- Rodgers picked up the win for his first as an Anteater
The shutout is already the second of the season through eight games for the Anteaters.
UC Irvine improves in the all-time series vs. GCU to 5-2 including the third shutout victory

The midweek clash continues on Wednesday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch. Jack Ross takes the mound against Cody Kiemele for the Lopes.

Finn punching out 2 in the 2nd #EatersGottaEat pic.twitter.com/49H5NHjdtq
— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) February 25, 2026

Wall gets 'em lookin' #EatersGottaEat pic.twitter.com/Fx1UTyEINI
— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) February 25, 2026

Hunter Manning announces his presence #EatersGottaEat pic.twitter.com/M6tNhyubcS
— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) February 25, 2026

Final pitch and K for Hunter's solid night - 2.2 IP (44 pitches), 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 K #EatersGottaEat pic.twitter.com/tglaw62U7Z
— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) February 25, 2026