No. 13 UCI Baseball (26-9, 14-2) bounced back from a disappointing 15-5 defeat against LMU on April 15 with a tight 3-1 victory over the University of Hawai’i (25-11, 10-9) at Anteater Ballpark on April 17.
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Riley Kelly took the mound for Irvine, but not before facing an immediate challenge as he allowed a leadoff single to center.
However, Kelly quickly found his rhythm by inducing a ground ball from Hawai’i senior infielder Shunsuke Sakaino, resulting in a double play that allowed him to reset.
On the other side, Hawai’i sophomore utility player Itsuki Takemoto was looking to shake off some recent struggles.
Despite hitting a batter with two outs in the first inning, Takemoto managed to retire the side without giving up any runs.
As both pitchers found their groove, the game settled into a defensive battle, with neither team scoring in the early innings.
This low-scoring affair took a turn in the fourth inning as the Anteaters aimed to break the deadlock.
UCI senior outfielder Chase Call came up to bat, quickly finding himself down in the count at 1-2.
A fastball from Takemoto drifted over the plate, allowing Call to capitalize with a sharply hit double into the left field corner.
After another batter lined out, Call advanced to third base, and the infield was drawn in, looking to prevent a run on a ground ball.
Senior catcher Blake Penso stepped up, grounding a ball to the first base side.
Despite the defensive setup, Call sprinted home to score the first run of the night, putting Irvine ahead 1-0.
The best-case scenario for the Anteaters was a quick shutdown inning from Kelly, but the top of the fifth began to unravel for the pitcher.
After recording a quick first out, Kelly issued a walk, setting the stage for a key at-bat with junior outfielder Matthew Miura, who had already been successful at the plate.
Miura pulled a double into the left-center gap, driving in the tying run and putting pressure back on the Anteaters.
Kelly managed to induce a popup to third base, ending his outing as he faced more difficulty than anticipated.
In relief, sophomore left-handed pitcher Ricky Ojeda entered the game, looking to stabilize the UCI defense.
Head coach Ben Orloff praised Ojeda as a reliable option in crucial moments, describing him as “the guy we want when the money’s on the table.”
Ojeda, who had an impressive ERA of 2.12 over 35 innings of work, promptly finished the fifth inning without giving up any runs.
The Anteaters still needed to capitalize on their opportunities to regain the lead.
Takemoto returned to the mound in the bottom of the fifth, where he faced minimal trouble despite giving up a hit.
However, the game remained tied heading into the sixth inning, with both teams finding runs to be precious commodities.
In the bottom of the sixth, UCI’s lineup sought to break through against Takemoto in his final inning of work.
Junior outfielder/first baseman Rowan Felsch led off by drawing a walk and successfully stole second base, putting pressure on the Hawai’i defense with two outs.
Penso, looking to help his team, lined a hard-hit ball toward right-center, but it was caught just before hitting the wall, preserving the tie at 1-1.
With runs so hard to come by, Ojeda returned to pitch the top of the seventh inning, quickly retiring the first two batters.
Despite allowing a baserunner, he managed to conclude the inning with no damage and set the stage for a potential UCI lead.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Hawai’i switched pitchers, bringing in junior left-hander Cory Ronan, trying to continue the momentum started by Takemoto.
After a flyout, UCI worked their magic, drawing consecutive walks and placing runners on first and second with two outs.
In a crucial at-bat, junior first baseman Anthony Martinez faced lefty Ronan, who had a strategy favoring left-handed hitters.
Martinez remained steadfast in his approach, stating that he preferred to maintain one consistent strategy regardless of the pitcher.
His approach proved effective as he grounded a ball that snuck through the infield, allowing redshirt sophomore infielder Frankie Carney to score and give UCI a vital 2-1 lead.
Although Ronan struck out the next batter, the damage had been done, and the Anteaters celebrated their newfound advantage.
Ojeda, with an invigorated defense behind him, returned to the mound for one last inning of work in the top of the eighth.
However, he faced immediate pressure as he allowed a leadoff double to Takemoto, pinning UCI into a tight spot.
Ojeda was relentless, managing to strike out senior outfielder Kamana Nahaku and taking great advantage of a pivotal moment when pinch runner Jarret Nielsen tried to advance home but was tagged out at home plate, recording a critical out for UCI.
Completing the inning with another strikeout, Ojeda made a statement to his teammates as he returned to the dugout, displaying energy that had shifted in UCI’s favor.
Looking to extend their lead, Irvine capitalized in the bottom of the eighth, tacking on an insurance run.
Junior right-handed pitcher Max Martin entered the game in the ninth to wrap up the win.
Martin allowed one hit but closed out the inning efficiently, securing a satisfying 3-1 victory for the Anteaters in the series opener.
The team went on to sweep Hawai’i in the series, achieving a dominant performance with a staggering combined score of 12-1 across the weekend.
Avery Rosas is a Sports Staff Writer. He can be reached at [email protected].
image source from：https://newuniversity.org/2025/04/22/no-13-uci-baseball-wins-scrappy-3-1-opener-against-hawaii/
