Box Score April 18, 2015 Box Score
IRVINE, Calif. -- Host UC Irvine scored twice in the eighth to tie the game and walked-off with a victory thanks to a two-out balk in the bottom of the 12th, handing visiting UC Davis a 4-3 loss in extra innings to even their Big West Conference series at one game apiece on Saturday afternoon at Anteater Ballpark.
The loss dropped the Aggies to 21-15-1 overall and 5-6 in league play as they will send junior right-hander Max Cordy (7-1, 3.94 ERA) to the mound for Sunday's series finale to try and secure the series win. The Anteaters improved to 22-13 overall and 9-2 in conference with the victory.
Irvine's Kris Paulino reached on a two-base error to lead-off the 12th as his ground ball was thrown wide of the bag at first, allowing him to turn the corner and reach second base. Sophomore closer Zach Stone (2-1), working his fourth inning in relief, then got a strike out and a ground ball to move Paulino to third with two outs and put UC Davis on the brink of forcing yet another extra inning.
With John Brontsema at the plate, Paulino broke for home, catching Stone off-guard and drawing the balk call, awarding him home plate to end the game.
UC Davis starter Raul Jacobson pitched into the eighth, but left with a no-decision despite leaving with a 3-1 advantage, a runner on first and one out. A pair of walks by Stone to Andrew Martinez and Cameron Bishop loaded the bases before pinch-hitter Evan Cassolato flared the first pitch he saw into left centerfield to score two and tie the game.
Jacobson allowed just two runs on nine hits and struck out four over 7.1 innings, while Stone was charged with two runs -- including his first earned run allowed this season -- on three hits while striking out four over 4.1 innings.
Cameron Bishop (1-0) earned the win in relief for UC Irvine, surrendering just three hits over 2.2 shutout innings. Starter Matt Esparza was also stuck with a no decision, allowing three earned on nine hits over 9.1 innings, striking out nine without walking a batter.
Back-to-back singles to start the game by Tanner Bily and Tino Lipson led to the Aggies' first run of the game as senior catcher Izaak Silva rapped a single to right to plate Bily and make it 1-0. A double-play ball in the third scored Bily with another run for a 2-0 lead and, after the Anteaters cut the deficit in half with a run in the fifth, UC Davis regained its two-run advantage in the sixth on a perfectly executed double steal with Silva and Alex Aguiar, as the former scampered home to make it 3-1.
Bily and Lipson finished with three hits apiece, while Silva and John Williams each added two more as part of a 12-hit attack for the Aggies -- their third straight game with 10-or-more hits and their 18th double-digit hit performance of the year. Bily and Silva finished with doubles -- the only two extra base hits allowed by either pitching staff on the day.
Game three of the series begins on Sunday (April 19) at 1 p.m.
UC Irvine 4, UC Davis 3 (Apr 18, 2015 at Irvine, CA)
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UC Davis............ 101 001 000 000 - 3 12 2 (21-15-1, 5-6)
UC Irvine........... 000 010 020 001 - 4 12 1 (22-13, 9-2)
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Pitchers: UC Davis - Jacobson, Raul; Stone, Zach (8) and Silva, Izaak. UC Irvine - Esparza, Matt; Bishop, Cameron(10) and McClanahan, Jerry.
Win-Bishop, Cameron(1-0) Loss- Stone, Zach (2-1) T-3:21 A-479
Weather: 73 degrees 10 mph SSW
