No. 13 UC Irvine Baseball (35-11, 20-4) defeated California Baptist University (26-23, 9-9) in a scrappy late-season non-conference matchup, 9-8, at Totman Stadium in Riverside, Calif. on May 6. Facing a six-run deficit at one point, the ‘Eaters capitalized on sloppy fielding throughout the game by the Lancers to edge out a one-run victory.
Prior to the matchup, UCI looked to bounce back from a 2-1 series loss to UC San Diego — a minor setback to an otherwise outstanding stretch in which the ‘Eaters went 8-2 over their previous 10 games before the series.
UCI looked to redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Finnegan Wall to start the game on the mound, but a leadoff single and a walk put a runner in scoring position before the ‘Eaters could record an out. Wall almost left unscathed after recording an infield flyout and a strikeout, but a two-out double from CBU junior second baseman Ben Castelli brought both runners in as Irvine ended the first down 2-0.
The Lancers built on the momentum gained in the first inning. After holding the ‘Eaters to just one baserunner over the first two innings, Cal Baptist junior catcher Trevor Spainhoward doubled the lead with a two-run home run to left center. A two-strike double and a hit by pitch immediately after spelled the end of Wall’s day. Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Danny Suarez came in as the replacement. With two runners on base, a double from junior centerfielder Nicholas Dumesnil extended the Cal Baptist lead to six.
The ‘Eaters finally found some offensive success after three straight singles loaded the bases with no outs in the third. Junior first baseman Anthony Martinez grounded out to first base, scoring UCI’s first run of the game. Sophomore center fielder Jacob McCombs followed with a routine grounder to second, but Castelli couldn’t glove it, allowing a run to score unearned. The Lancers immediately answered at the turn of the side with a leadoff home run from senior left fielder Jake Brown, but Suarez closed the inning with three consecutive strikeouts. After three innings, UCI trailed 7-2.
After two UCI flyouts in the top of the fourth, two walks and a single loaded the bases, prompting a pitching change from Cal Baptist. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Riley Hunsaker came in for sophomore left-handed pitcher Niko Urquidi, who went 3.2 innings and allowed just one run. A grounder to the shifted sophomore third basemen Andrew Walters should have ended the inning, but the ball passed under his legs to score two unearned runs. A four-ball McCombs walk loaded the bases for sophomore designated hitter Alonso Reyes, who brought in two more with a single past the shortstop, cutting the CBU lead to one.
No more runs scored until the sixth, when UCI junior shortstop Colin Yeaman blasted a solo shot to left field to tie the game at seven. The ‘Eaters kept the Cal Baptist offense at bay through stellar middle relief pitching from junior right-handed pitcher Jack Ross, redshirt senior right-handed pitcher David Utagawa and senior right-handed pitcher David Butler, who allowed a combined two hits across four innings.
UCI took the lead in the eighth inning after a single from Martinez and a double from McCombs put both runners in scoring position with just one out. Reyes came through in the clutch spot again to single home the leading run. With a runner on third, sophomore third baseman Zach Fjelstad, who subbed in defensively the inning prior, hit a grounder to third that extended the lead after McCombs beat the play at the plate on a fielder’s choice to home. UCI entered the ninth leading, 9-7.
After a quick one-two-three in the top of the ninth, the ‘Eaters called on junior right-handed pitcher Max Martin for the save. Martin struck out the leadoff batter, but a single brought the tying run to the plate. Another strikeout put Irvine one out away from a win, but junior third baseman Connor Ross doubled to the right-center gap, cutting the Irvine lead to one. The drama heightened after Martin hit the next batter on the ankle, but a chopped grounder from Spainhoward ended the game as UCI completed the comeback, 9-8.
Reyes led the ‘Eaters with four hits and three RBIs, with Martinez and Yeaman each bringing in one runner. Wall struggled early, allowing six runs, but the bullpen picked him up, allowing just two runs the rest of the game. Utagawa was credited with his first win of the season, while Martin recorded his 10th save.
UCI resumes Big West conference play on Friday in a three-game road series at Cal State Bakersfield.
Jordan Hum is a Sports Staff Writer. He can be reached at jrhum@uci.edu.
Edited by Jack Fedor.