The UCI Men’s Baseball team (8-1) defeated the Arizona State University Sun Devils (6-3), 16-6, at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, March 3. The Anteaters put on a spectacular display of offensive depth throughout their lineup as the victory propelled them to extend their winning streak to three games.
With both starting the 2023 season on high notes, it was clear the game was going to be a grueling, drawn-out fight between two young teams. The match relied on some new faces to pave the way to continue the team’s early success.
ASU set the tone early in the first inning, scoring one run off of UCI redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher David Vizcaino, who boasted a reliable 1.42 earned run average over 6.1 innings pitched prior to the match. Usually a dominant starter for the ‘Eaters, Vizcaino gave up five runs before exiting the game one out into the fifth inning.
With an uncharacteristic initial lapse in pitching for the Eaters, the UCI offense stepped up and topped their season record for runs scored in a single game, tallying 16 runs on 13 hits. Irvine recorded multiple innings with four or more runs scored, going through their entire batting lineup in multiple innings. Irvine scored five runs in the second, six runs in the third and four runs in the seventh.
By the end of the game, UCI’s offensive accolades included freshman first baseman/catcher Anthony Martinez, who extended his home run streak to four games and tied the current Anteater record. The offense also ended the night with three players recording an impressive three or more runs batted in (RBI). Junior third baseman Jo Oyama recorded a stellar night, leading the team with four RBI’s.
The ‘Eaters took care of ASU again with a 10-9 victory on Saturday, March 4. They will return home for a matchup with Loyola Marymount University at Anteater Ballpark on Tuesday, March 7.
Kira Dort is a Sports Staff Writer. She can be reached at kdort@uci.edu.
