College Roundup: ‘Eaters sweep Pacific

IRVINE — UC Irvine sophomore Phil Ferragamo threw seven scoreless innings and Jimmy Litchfield finished off the Anteaters’ third shutout of the season Sunday as the ‘Eaters won, 6-0, to complete the Big West Conference-opening baseball series sweep at Anteater Ballpark.

Ferragamo, making just his second start of the season, allowed five hits while walking one and striking out three to improve to 3-2.

Litchfield surrendered just one hit and struck out four to notch his first save of the season.

Freshman designated hitter Connor Spencer went three for four with two runs batted in, as did senior center fielder Christian Ramirez.

Senior second baseman Tommy Reyes was three for five with one RBI, as seven players contributed to the 14-hit attack.

UCI improved to 17-9, 3-0 in conference to claim sole possession of first place in the Big West. UCI also received the No. 29 ranking by Collegiate Baseball in the poll announced Monday.

Pacific fell to 8-19, 0-3.

UC Irvine 7, Pacific 4

IRVINE — Freshman Taylor Sparks, who belted a walk-off, two-run homer in Friday’s series opener, singled in the tying and winning runs in a sixth-run eighth to propel the host Anteaters in the Big West Conference game Saturday.

Senior shortstop D.J. Crumlich was two for five with two runs batted in, while senior first baseman Jordan Fox and junior left fielder Scott Gottschling both had two hits and one RBI for the winners.

Mitch Merten threw three scoreless innings of relief to earn his first collegiate win. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one.

Race Parmenter worked a scoreless ninth for his team-leading third save.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

UCLA def. UC Irvine

IRVINE — The No. 3-ranked Bruins avenged an earlier Mountain Pacific Sports Federation loss to No. 1-ranked UCI with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-23 sweep on Saturday at Crawford Court.

The loss snapped a 10-match win streak for UCI (19-4, 15-4 in conference) and dropped the Anteaters into second place, behind BYU.

BYU (16-4 in conference) visits UCLA (20-5, 14-4) for two crucial MPSF matches Friday and Saturday.

Connor Hughes came off the bench to lead UCI with nine kills, while producing a .444 hitting percentage.

Kevin Carroll had six kills in seven swings (.857), while senior All-American Carson Clark had eight kills and three aces for the Anteaters, for whom senior outside hitter Kevin Tillie had two kills and hit negative .222.

UCI hit .273 as a team, 105 points below the Bruins, for whom senior setter Kyle Caldwell, a Newport Harbor High product, had 34 assists and five kills.

Weston Dunlap, another former Newport Harbor standout, had eight kills and hit .500 for the winners.

WOMEN’S WATER POLO

UC Irvine 8,

UC Santa Barbara 4

SANTA BARBARA — The visiting Anteaters scored five goals in the second quarter to take a 6-1 halftime lead, then closed out the weekend Big West road sweep on Sunday.

Michaela Pierandozzi led the No. 6-ranked Anteaters (19-5, 2-0 in conference) with two goals.

Jillian Yocum made seven saves for the winners.

The Gauchos fell to 16-12, 1-1.

UC Irvine 11,

Cal State Northridge 10

NORTHRIDGE — Annika Bergesen scored the game-winner with 41 seconds left to help the visiting Anteaters in the Big West Conference opener on Saturday.

Hannah Croghan and Danielle Warde had two goals apiece to pace No. 6-ranked UCI.

Jillian Yocum had six saves for the ‘Eaters.

The No. 17-ranked Matadors fell to 14-15, 0-1.

Chapman 16,

Vanguard 6

ORANGE — Grace Konstanzer and Lindsay McCance had two goals apiece for the visiting Lions in the nonconference game Saturday.

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Cal/Nevada

Championships

CLAREMONT — UC Irvine senior Charles Jock won the 400 meters on Sunday with a time of 46.78 seconds at Clarmont-Mudd-Scripps’ Burns Track and Field Complex.

Jock also ran the third leg on the 4x400 relay that finished fourth (3 minutes, 13.27 seconds).

Stephen Brown tied for second in the pole vault with a mark of 15 feet, 7 inches.

Trevor Wightman was fourth in the 400 hurdles (52.59) and Riley Martin was fifth in the 1,500 in 3:53.98 for the Anteaters.

Nick Osborne was sixth in the 1,500 in 3:54.18.

UCI finished seventh as a team in the two-day meet.

On Saturday, senior Brennen Halliday was sixth in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:29.57).

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Cal/Nevada

Championships

CLAREMOUNT — UC Irvine junior Ericka Nowell edged senior teammate Amber Middleton to win the 400-meter hurdles on Sunday at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’ Burns Track and Field Complex.

Nowell’s time was 58.95 seconds, just better than Middleton’s 58.96.

Middleton was second in the 100 hurdles (14.0 seconds) and UCI’s 4x400 relay of KayC Wharton, Middleton, Kelly Collins and Nowell was second in 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds.

UCI’s 4x100 relay of Kirma Helmer, Sanmisola George, Martina Michos and Breannca Fleming was second in 47.09.

UCI placed seventh in the team standings.

SOFTBALL

Doubleheader

LA MIRADA — Vanguard University right fielder Haley Croce drove in three runs in a 5-4 Game 2 victory over Biola and had two RBIs in a 3-2 opening-game triumph in Golden State Athletic Conference action on Saturday.

Brittany Boggs was four for six in the two games, which allowed Vanguard to improve to 27-16, 5-5 in conference).

Stacie Salazar struck out nine, while allowing 10 hits and two runs in a complete game to win the opener. She is now 8-4.

Rachel Stalford struck out seven, while allowing 13 hits and four runs in a complete-game effort in Game 1. She is 11-4.

Biola is now 15-21, 1-9.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

UC Irvine 5,

Cal State Northridge 2

IRVINE — The host Anteaters won five of six singles sets to claim the Big West Conference match on Sunday.

Kristina Smith, Courtney Byron, Franziska Goettsching and Kat Facey won at Nos. 1-4 singles, while Marivick Mamiit won her No. 6 singles match for UCI (12-5, 4-1 in conference).

Northridge is 9-6, 2-3.

MEN’S TENNIS

Denver 5, UC Irvine 2

IRVINE — Sam Gould earned the lone singles win for the host Anteaters, who won two of three sets to earn the doubles point in the nonconference match Sunday.

Gould posted a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles.

Mika DeCoster and Jon Kazarian won, 8-4, at No. 2 doubles, while Fabian Matthews and Shuhei Shibahara posted an 8-6 win at No. 3 doubles for UCI (2-15).

Denver is 12-8.

MEN’S GOLF

Orange Empire

Conference match

RIVERSIDE — Mike Squillace shot six-over-par 78 to pace Orange Coast College, which beat three of seven opponents in the eight-team match on Monday at the Victoria Club.

OCC’s team score was 402. It remains atop the conference at 37-5.