UCI provides a little extra

IRVINE — There was the “Run for the Roses” in Kentucky and, about 400 meters from home plate, the Steve Scott Invitational. But UC Irvine baseball players got to show off their stride as well Saturday in a 12-7 win over Big West Conference visitor Cal State Northridge.

The No. 1-ranked Anteaters (33-11, 13-1 in the Big West) had a school-single-game-record four triples, while adding three doubles, all accomplished before the Matadors (18-28, 4-13) recorded their 11th out.

The extra-base barrage, including two triples and two doubles in a four-run third inning, helped create a 9-0 lead after three and 10-0 cushion after four. From there, the hosts cruised home for their 14th win in their last 16 games.

The victory also secured the three-game series for UCI, which finishes the three-game set today at 1 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark. It’s the ninth series victory for UCI in as many tries this season.

Junior catcher Francis Larson went three for four with a double and a triple to pace UCI’s 10-hit attack. He also scored four runs.

Senior shortstop Ben Orloff had his first career triple — in his 800th at-bat as an Anteater — and drove in three runs for the winners.

Junior second baseman Casey Stevenson went two for three with a double and two RBIs, while junior right fielder Dillon Bell drove in two with a double and also scored twice for UCI.

Junior right-hander Christian Bergman pitched 6 2/3 innings to record his eighth win in nine decisions this season and senior third baseman Eric Deragisch led another strong defensive display by the ’Eaters, who continue to dominate conference competition.

“It was 10-0 at one point, so I don’t know if our players feel it was a little anticlimactic,” UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said. “But I thought it was a good day.

“I thought Bergman, for a long time, was good. And we played some more really remarkable defense. I think we had seven extra-base hits and that’s not altogether normal, so it was a good day.”

Combined with five doubles in Friday’s 7-1 triumph, 12 of UCI’s 21 hits in the series have been for extra bases.

“Legging out a triple, there’s nothing better than that,” said Larson, who was also involved in a collision at the plate, blocking the dish and tagging out a runner trying to score from third on a ground ball to Deragisch, who smothered it and threw to Larson. Larson fielded the throw about chest high and lunged to his knees to tag the sliding runner, who swept his feet out from under him on the play.

The runner, outfielder Todd Eskelin, remained prone at the plate for several minutes and was helped to the dugout after being tended to by a trainer.

Larson was not affected in the least.

“That’s baseball,” Larson said. “Collisions at the plate and running the bases. Getting dirty is part of the game.”

The Matadors left a few stains of their own on three UCI pitchers, producing a 14-11 hit advantage.

Bergman, who came in with a 2.50 earned-run average, struck out six, but was touched for four runs, three earned. He allowed 10 hits and walked one. He saw his ERA rise to 2.76.

Larson opened the UCI second inning with a hustle double to right-center field and Stevenson followed with a triple, then scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman designated hitter Ronnie Shaeffer.

Sophomore left fielder Ryan Fisher doubled and Bell was hit by a pitch. With two outs, both scored on Orloff’s opposite-field squirter down the right-field line. Orloff scored on an RBI single by Deragisch.

Bell’s double drove in Larson and Stevenson, who had singled to start the third, and junior center fielder Eric Olson tripled to plate Bell. Olson then scored on an infield error and UCI had all it would need.

The Anteaters added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings as Northridge called upon six pitchers. The Matadors used five pitchers Friday.

Meanwhile, UCI junior All-American closer Eric Pettis took the day off, for the second straight game.

Olson went one for three in his first action since suffering a concussion when he collided with the outfield fence in an April 14 game at the University of San Diego.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 12,

Cal State Northridge 7

SCORE BY INNINGS

Gorski, Tremlin (2), Harper (5), McCarney (7), Longpre (7), DeBoo (8) and Hannick, Parham (7); Bergman, Dufour (7), Summers (9) and Larson. W – Bergman, 8-1. L – Gorski, 1-3. 2B – Cates (CSN), Simis (CSN), Larson (UCI), Fisher (UCI), Bell (UCI). 3B – Orloff (UCI), Larson (UCI), Stevenson (UCI), Olson (UCI).

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].