IRVINE, Calif. – Washington State took a 1-1 tie into the seventh inning with No. 22 UC Irvine but the Anteaters used a two-out two-run single to take a lead and posted a 5-1 win at Anteater Ballpark Saturday evening.
 
WSU received a two-hit games from Rob Teel and freshman Kodie Kolden who hit his first career homer while junior starter A.J. Block set career highs with 5.2 innings and seven strikeouts. The Cougars left 10 runners on base and out-hit UC Irvine 10-7 but UCI broke open a 1-1 tie with two runs in the seventh and two in the eighth.
 
In the second, UC Irvine pushed a run across with a hit-by-pitch, a ground ball single up the middle and chopped single through the left side for a 1-0 lead, all came with two outs.
 
In the third, the Cougars loaded the bases after Kolden singled back up the middle, Danny Sinatro reached on catcher's interference and Dillon Plew walked with two outs. Kyle Manzardo drove a pitch the other way, deep down the left field line but the UCI left fielder made a nice catch on the run for the third out.
 
In the fifth, Kolden provided the boost with a one-out solo homer to left field, tying the game at 1-1. Later in the inning, the Cougars had a runner thrown out at second after sliding past the bag. Dillon Plew and Kyle Manzardo followed with singles but UC Irvine ended the threat with a fielder's choice ground out.
 
In the sixth, the Anteaters started the inning with a single to left and a walk before a sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base with one out. Block struck out the next batter for the second out but the next batter, a pinch-hitter, lined a hotshot off the Cougar first baseman's glove and into right field, allowing the go-ahead runs to score for a 3-1 advantage.
 
In the seventh, with runners on first and third and two outs, UCI blooped an RBI-single into right field to score run but a throwing error allowed the runner from first to move to third and a second throwing error to third base allowed the runner to score for a 5-1 UCI advantage.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Collin Montez singled in the 2^nd to extend his hitting streak to 6 games, on-base streak to 17
Kodie Kolden hit in the leadoff position for the 1^st time in his career
Danny Sinatro singled in the 5^th to extend his on-base streak to 18 games
Kyle Manzardo singled in the 5^th to extend his hitting streak to a team season-best 9 games
Jack Smith had a pinch-hit double to lead off the 9th
 
NEXT UP
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.