College Roundup: Local pair claims crown

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Senior Kirby Burnham and USC freshman teammate Sarah Hughes won the pairs title at the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. collegiate sand volleyball national championship on Sunday.

Burnham, a Newport Harbor High product, and Hughes, a Costa Mesa resident who starred at Mater Dei, defeated Hawaii’s Karissa Cook and Brittany Tiegs, 21-15, 21-13.

Burnham won the event last year with fellow All-American Stevi Robinson.

Earlier Tuesday, Burnham and Hughes were named first-team All-American.

Burnham and Hughes, who swept all four of their matches, were the No. 4-seeded team.

The Hawaii runners-up were seeded No. 3.

BASEBALL

UC Irvine 16,

San Diego 11

SAN DIEGO — Five San Diego errors led to nine unearned runs as the visiting Anteaters extended their winning streak to eight in the nonconference game Tuesday.

Junior closer Sam Moore worked two scoreless innings to notch his NCAA-leading 22nd save, leaving him just shy of the NCAA single-season record.

Connor Spencer and Jonathan Munoz had three hits apiece and Ryan Cooper drove in three for UCI (33-14).

UCI, ranked No. 23 by Baseball America and No. 16 by Collegiate Baseball, led, 10-0 and 13-2, before the No. 24-ranked Toreros closed within 13-11.

The 16 runs are a season best for UCI.

USD fell to 33-17.

UC Irvine 8,

UC Santa Barbara 0

The host Anteaters won their seventh straight, their 12th straight in Big West Conference play, and earned their seventh shutout of the season to complete a three-game sweep of the Gauchos on Sunday.

Senior Evan Brock allowed four hits in seven innings to improve to 8-3, while Matt Fielding and Jimmy Litchfield each worked a hitless inning to close it out.

Junior first baseman Connor Spencer was two for five with two runs batted in, while sophomore Grant Palmer was two for three with two walks and two runs scored for UCI, which improved to 14-1 in conference play.

The ‘Eaters batted around in a five-run first inning.

UCI is 1.5 games ahead of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (14-4 in conference) in the Big West standings as it prepares to play a three-game series at the Mustangs’ diamond, beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

UCSB fell to 26-14-1, 7-11.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

State championships

LOS ANGELES — Orange Coast College was second as a team, 14 points behind victorious Diablo Valley at the California Community College Athletic Assn. state meet completed Saturday at East Los Angeles College.

Sophomore diver Rae Adams won the three-meter event, edging freshman teammate Candice Buck and defending state champion Aimee Burns of Riverside City College, who finished third.

Buck was fourth in the one-meter final, one spot ahead of Adams.

OCC freshman Kellie Thorsness, a Costa Mesa High product, was second in the 50-yard freestyle (23.77 seconds) and the 100 free (52.15).

Chloe Kim was fourth in the 100 butterfly (59.77) and sixth in the 50 fly (26.89), while Claire Aguilar was sixth in the 100 individual medley (1 minute, 1.06 seconds) and seventh in the 50 free (24.75).

Sophie Shiba was seventh in the 100 backstroke (1:00.33) and Jacqueline Whitehead was eighth in the 200 free (1:58.5).

OCC was second in the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay and was third in the 400 free relay.

OCC earlier claimed the Orange Empire Conference crown for the 10th straight year.

MEN’S SWIMMING

State championships

LOS ANGELES — The Orange Coast College 200-yard freestyle relay of Sean Richards, Collin Latham, Travis Hone and Kasey Foley set a state record of 1 minute, 21.75 seconds to help the Pirates finish fourth as a team at the California Community College Athletic Assn. state championships, completed Saturday at East Los Angeles College.

Foley tied for second in the 50 free (20.87) and was fourth in the 100 free (45.98), while Richards was third in the 100 backstroke (51.63), fifth in the 200 free (1:41.35) and eighth in the 500 free (4:43.87).

Latham was sixth in the 50 free (21.05) and eighth in the 100 free (46.52), while Tim Polman was seventh in the 100 free (46.39).

Eric Lindsey was sixth in the 1,650 free (16:40.15).

OCC was second in the 400 and 800 free relays.

MEN’S GOLF

Southern California

Regional Championship

POWAY — Orange Coast College freshmen Zach Eddy and Marc Reyes qualified for the California Community College Athletic Assn. men’s golf championships and the Pirates finished third as a team in the 36-hole event completed Monday at StoneRidge Country Club.

Eddy, a Newport Harbor High product, was two-over-par for the event (144), while Reyes shot 145 to become one of 12 individuals to advance.

OCC missed qualifying for state as a team, finishing five shots behind Riverside, which along with first-place College of the Canyons earned the two qualifying spots.

Michael Chen (149), Zach Lauderdale (149), Jem Young (157) and Zach Olsen (157) rounded out the OCC lineup.

The state tournament will be held Monday at Victoria Country Club in Riverside.