Ninth-Inning Charge Helps Earn 9-7 Sunday Win

Sunday, April 26

La Jolla, Calif.

1:00 PM

UC Irvine

18-23, 9-12

UC San Diego

18-21, 14-7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UC Irvine	0	0	1	3	0	0	0	1	4	9	15	2
UC San Diego	2	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	1	7	10	0

lucas-schermer-uci-bsb-2026-ucsantabarbara-ucsandiego

Photo by: Matt Brown

Ninth-Inning Charge Helps Earn 9-7 Sunday Win

April 26, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

LA JOLLA, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball waited until the final inning Sunday to put the offense in overdrive and overcome a one-run deficit and win, 9-7, over UC San Diego in Triton Ballpark.

The hosts were off to the races chasing Sunday opener Brandon Luu with a pair of first-inning runs and leading, 2-0
For a large portion of the game, Daniel Polasek drove the offense as part of a four-RBI day
- In the third inning, he singled home the first run, but the 'Eaters left the bases loaded after him and still trailed, 2-1
- He came to bat with the bases loaded in the fourth and doubled in a pair to go from down a run to leading, 3-2
- Polasek drove another run in to come within a run in the eighth inning for another three-hit day
The Tritons were dormant against Ricky Ojeda who relieved Luu and no-hit them through the fourth
In the sixth, UCSD erupted with a home run to start the inning, a single followed by a two-run home run to snatch the lead back, 5-4, and a fourth run without a hit to end the inning ahead by two
UCI called upon Danny Suarez who kept UCSD within reach for the next three innings as UC Irvine trailed by a run entering the ninth
To start the ninth inning, Alonso Reyes deposited a single with a pinch-runner reaching second on a balk, but the 'Eaters were soon down to their final out
- Lucas Schermer played the hero singling into center field to bring home pinch-runner Zach Doyle and tie things, 6-6
- Efren Ortega continued the party with a double the other way for the 7-6 lead
- Tommy Farmer put a punctuation mark on the inning going the other way off the right-center wall and taking advantage of a wild bounce to circle the bases for an inside-the-park-home run and 9-6 lead

UC Irvine 9, UC San Diego 7

Despite a two-out solo home run in the ninth, Suarez battled through the final four innings to secure his second win of the season while striking out three
- Brandon Luu made his first start in nearly two full years lasting just 0.2 innings but picking up a strikeout
- Ricky Ojeda was the bridge in the win allowing one baserunner and striking out five over 3.1 innings
UCI's offense posted 15 hits on the day with three 'Eaters collecting three-hit days
- Polasek had three hits out of the leadoff spot driving in four
- Schermer also had three hits scoring twice, driving in a run, and registering his first career steal
- Ortega's three-hit day included the go-ahead double, an RBI, three runs scored, a walk, and on defense caught a runner stealing
- Farmer's home run is his fourth of the season and UCI's first inside-the-park-homer since Caden Kendle in 2022
  - Farmer reached four times in the game also scoring three runs and driving in two
- The bottom four hitters in UCI's order went 10-for-15 with nine runs scored on the game while driving in four and reaching base three other times

The win is vital for UCI's postseason chances boosting them to 9-12 in Big West action and 18-23 overall. Next up is a home week for UC Irvine beginning Tuesday, April 28 vs. top-25 USC before welcoming conference-leader Cal Poly to begin May for a three-game series

Postgame thoughts from birthday boy Ben Orloff
"It's a really good win. Suarez did a good job to give us a chance to be in that game. That whole sequence of events with Reyes who gets it going with that two-strike hit off an offspeed pitch, Schermer with two outs is the hero again today in a tough matchup for him to single, and then that two-out production with the steal, Ortega doubles, Farmer homers; it's a special win when you're down to your last strike and you find a way to win. Really proud of how we responded and played today."

"There were a lot of guys that were huge - Polasek had a great offensive weekend, he made a great offensive catch in the middle innings, Ojeda on one days rest after the night he had Friday to go 3.1 IP and get five strikeouts today, Suarez goes four innings on one days rest, two double plays, Ortega catching the runner stealing on ball in the dirt. Outside of those seven or eight pitches in the sixth and us leaving the bases loaded with nobody out, outside of that we played really good. It was a good response and it's always a better feeling when you win on a Sunday."