CORVALLIS, Oregon — Caden Kendle’s two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted UC Irvine to a wild, 13-12 victory over Nicholls State on Friday afternoon at the Corvallis Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Nicholls erased an early 9-1 deficit and then took a 12-11 lead in the top of the inning.
The Colonels got their dramatic, three-run blast from first baseman Edgar Alvarez with one out in the ninth. But Nicholls State reliever Devin Desandro could not hold down the Anteaters.
He gave up a single to pinch hitter Jacob Stinson and a walk to Wade Hadeen. Myles Smith, who homered twice and drove in five runs to help UCI build its big lead, then reached on an error by third baseman Gerardo Villareal to load the bases.
That’s when Kendle sliced the ball into right field for the winning hit that touched off a crazy celebration for the Anteaters, the Big West Conference runners-up who are in the 64-team field for the first time since 2021.
It was total disappointment for the Colonels (38-21), who looked like they would get their first tournament win after entering play 0-8 all time.
UCI (44-12) will take on either host Oregon State or Tulane on Saturday for control of the regional.
Nicholls State plays the Oregon State-Tulane loser in an elimination game.
UC Irvine’s Smith, a junior, hit a two-run homer to right center in the first and added a three-run shot to right in the fourth, his ninth and 10th home runs of the season.
Kendle, a former Marina High standout, drove in three runs and, like Smith, finished with three hits.
David Utagawa (3-0), UC Irvine’s fourth pitcher, got the final two outs for the win. Desandro (6-5) took the loss.
.@UCIbsb CALLED GAME #RoadToOmaha x ESPN+pic.twitter.com/f14PrVo9Xc
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) May 31, 2024
BIG MUNCH #NowWeGo pic.twitter.com/USdAxUdP1Y
— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) May 31, 2024
Big Woody single! #EatersGottaEat pic.twitter.com/rg3dCiEjZo
— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) May 31, 2024
MYLES SMITH!! 2ND OF THE GAME #EatersGottaEat pic.twitter.com/A0BAUI9gQY
— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) May 31, 2024
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