March 28, 2009

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. --- Christian Bergman hurled eight shutout innings to lead No. 10 UC Irvine to an 11-3 win over 19th-ranked Cal Poly Saturday at Anteater Ballpark. The win gives the Anteaters the series win over the Mustangs as the team improves 15-7 overall and 2-0 in the Big West.

Bergman faced the minimum in the first three innings and held Cal Poly (17-6, 0-2) to five hits while striking out four and walking none to improve to 3-1 and lowering his ERA to 2.79.

The Anteaters jumped on Cal Poly starter Matt Leonard in the second, getting on the board on Tony Asaro's double down the left-field line to score Ronnie Shaeffer. DJ Crumlich and Ben Orloff followed with RBI singles to give UCI a 3-0 lead.

UCI scored five runs in the fifth, capitalizing on a Cal Poly error and getting RBI hits from Crumlich and Shaeffer. The Anteaters struck again in the sixth, loading the bases for Shaeffer, who was hit by the pitch to plate Orloff and a fielder's choice that would score Eric Deragisch. Crumlich worked a bases-loaded walk in the inning to score a run and finished the day 2 for 4 with three RBI.

Shaeffer went 2 for 3 at the plate with three RBI and three runs scored while Orloff went 3 for 6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Asaro drove in a pair of runs while going 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Cal Poly marred the shutout effort in the ninth, scoring three runs in the inning off reliever Matt Dufour. Leonard fell to 3-1 after giving up eight runs (six earned) on nine hits in 4.2 innings while Kevin Castner allowed three runs on three hits in ½ innings. Jeff Johnson held the Anteaters scoreless, pitching three innings and striking out two while yielding two hits.

The series concludes Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark.