IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — Garrett Teunissen homered and drove in two runs, but the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners could not hold an early lead as the UC Irvine Anteaters rallied for a 10-7 victory Saturday evening at Anteater Ballpark in a Big West Conference game.

UC Irvine improved to 25-25 overall and 25-25 in the Big West. Cal State Bakersfield fell to 22-31 and 22-31.

The Roadrunners jumped ahead quickly. After a scoreless top of the first inning, Teunissen launched a two-run homer to left field in the second inning, scoring Nick Mascaro, who had walked. That put Cal State Bakersfield up 2-0. The Roadrunners added a run in the third on a groundout by Matthew Morisaki that plated Ethan Bennett, who had doubled. The lead grew to 7-2 after Evan Cloyd doubled down the left-field line in the seventh inning, driving in two runs. Cloyd finished 1 for 5 with two RBIs.

UC Irvine chipped away. In the bottom of the first, Diego Polasek doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Reyes. The Anteaters added a run in the second when Zach Fjelstad walked, stole second and later stole home. Fjelstad went 2 for 3 with an RBI.

The decisive inning came in the fifth. Trailing 7-3, UC Irvine scored four times to tie the game. Efren Ortega doubled to left field, driving in two runs, and then scored on a double by Alex Gutierrez. Fjelstad then singled up the middle to plate Gutierrez, knotting the score at 7-7. Ortega finished 1 for 3 with three RBIs.

UC Irvine took the lead for good in the sixth. With the bases loaded, Zane Crandall singled up the middle, scoring two runs to make it 9-7. Crandall had two RBIs.

The Anteaters added an insurance run in the seventh. Polasek reached on an error, moved to third on two wild pitches and scored on a single by pinch hitter Luke Castagnola.

Cal State Bakersfield had chances. In the seventh, trailing 9-7, the Roadrunners loaded the bases with one out, but Cloyd’s double cut the deficit to 9-7. However, reliever Peyton Rodgers got two strikeouts to end the inning. Rodgers pitched 2.0 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run with four strikeouts.

In the eighth, the Roadrunners pulled within 10-8 on a groundout by pinch hitter Dominic Wilkes, but could not get closer. Ricky Ojeda pitched a scoreless ninth for UC Irvine, striking out one.

Cal State Bakersfield used six pitchers. Starter Jeter Schuerman tossed 0.2 innings, striking out one. Nathaniel Pimentel threw 0.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and Payton Pudenz pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts.

The Roadrunners out-hit UC Irvine 12-9, but the Anteaters capitalized on three Cal State Bakersfield errors, scoring three unearned runs.

The game was the finale of a three-game series. Cal State Bakersfield won the opener 4-0 on Friday, while UC Irvine took the second game 6-3 on Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of UC Irvine 6, Cal State Bakersfield 5. Interstat’s ELO system gave UC Irvine an 85.00 percent probability to win.