Anteaters alone in 3rd place

NORTHRIDGE ? The UC Irvine baseball team moved into sole possession of third place in the Big West Conference by earning a 3-1 victory Sunday at Cal State Northridge to win the three-game series, two games to one.

The Anteaters (34-20, 9-9 in the Big West), are one game ahead of UC Riverside, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara, with three conference games remaining.

UCI meets UC Riverside in a three-game series beginning Friday at Anteater Ballpark.

Cal Poly and UCSB conclude their regular season with a three-game series against one another, also beginning Friday.

Should UC Irvine wind up third in the conference ? it could still earn a share of second place with Long Beach State, should the 49ers get swept in three games by first-place Cal State Fullerton (Friday through Sunday) and the Anteaters sweep Riverside ? it would be a strong candidate for an NCAA Regional berth.

Coach Dave Serrano’s squad benefited from yet another strong pitching performance by freshman Scott Gorgen Sunday. Gorgen blanked the Matadors (26-27, 6-12), who were shut out on four hits Saturday by Glenn Swanson, through eight innings, before being relieved in the ninth by junior closer Blair Erickson.

With the Anteaters leading, 3-0, Johnny Coit opened the ninth by reaching on an error and advancing to third on a bunt single by Scott Lyons.

Erickson was then summoned and induced a double play grounder that plated Coit to make it 3-1.

A single, a walk and an infield single loaded the bases, but Erickson struck out Jorge Andrade Jr. to end the game and earn his 13th save of the season.

It was the 40th save of his career.

Gorgen, who struck out four, allowed 10 hits and walked one, impoved to 7-3.

UCI opened the scoring in the second inning, when Brock Bardeen walked with one out and Matt Morris was hit by a pitch. After the second out was recorded, sophomore catcher Aaron Lowenstein tripled to left-center field to give his team a 2-0 cushion.

Lowenstein went two for four, while Morris went three for three and Jaime Martinez went three for five to key the Anteaters’ nine-hit attack.

Morris, who stared the last two games in right field after Danny McCarthy saw his 13-game hitting streak halted in the series opener Friday, went 5 for 7 in his two starts in the series.

UCI, which has won 15 of its last 19, will attempt to keep it rolling when it visits Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to meet UCLA. The Bruins, coached by former UCI head man John Savage, defeated UCI, 8-4, May 16.