'Eaters Return Favor with Comeback Win Saturday

Saturday, March 7

Irvine, Calif.

1:00 PM

UC Irvine

9-6, 1-1

CSUN

8-6, 1-1

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

efren-ortega-uci-bsb-2026-sandiegostate-csun

Photo by: Matt Brown

'Eaters Return Favor with Comeback Win Saturday

March 07, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball evened the weekend series with CSUN winning 4-2 Saturday at Anteater Ballpark in come-from-behind fashion

Again a pitcher's duel began the day as Ricky Ojeda and Gabriel Hernandez went toe-to-toe
- The starters threw zeroes through the first four innings limiting the offenses to six total hits
- Both teams got runners to second and third in the third inning, but they were able to sidestep it including Ojeda getting a lineout and fielder's choice in his
- CSUN starter Hernandez went a career-high 5.1 innings striking out five without a walk stymieing the UCI bats
The tie was broken in the fifth inning as CSUN got the first two batters on from free passes
- A sacrifice bunt and fly brought home the first run
- An errant throw on the sac fly followed by an errant throw on a groundball single on the next hitter helped bring across a second run for a 2-0 CSUN edge
UCI got their offense going in the sixth after finally getting Hernandez out of the game
- He allowed a single before exiting, and Auggie Gutierrez followed with a single against the reliever
- A hit by pitch loaded the bases, and then Tommy Farmer provided the key hit on a double down the line to tie it, 2-2
UCI was unable to get the go-ahead run in with just one out, but found it in the eighth inning
- Two hit by pitches and a walk helped set the table, and then a wild pitch gave UCI its first lead of the game, 3-2
- A play at the plate held it at a one-run game, but Efren Ortega lined a two-out single to give UCI some insurance, 4-2
Tim Grack, who came in for Ojeda in the seventh in a tie game, was spotless retiring all eight batters he faced including the final out on his fourth strikeout to seal the win

UC Irvine 4, CSUN 2

The offense again out-hit CSUN, 8-5, with two-hit days from Ortega, Farmer, and Zach Fjelstad
- Farmer drove in two and reached all four times
Ojeda did not figure in the decision allowing just one earned run in 6.1 innings while throwing a career high 102 pitches
- Grack improved to 2-0 on the season and picked up his fourth career victory

The series goes into Sunday tied 1-1 with the rubber match set for 1:00 p.m., March 8. Finnegan Wall will throw for UCI against a yet to be determined Matador pitcher.