COLLEGE WORLD SERIES NOTEBOOK:UCI win one for record books

OMAHA. Neb. — Bryan Petersen’s game-winning single sent his UC Irvine baseball teammates scurrying onto the field at Rosenblatt Stadium after a 5-4 win over Cal State Fullerton in a 13-inning elimination game Monday.

But NCAA officials had already been shuffling through the College World Series record book in an attempt to uncover how the five-hour, 40-minute marathon ranked in series annals.

Here’s what they uncovered:

It topped the previous high of 82 set in a 1984 game.

Morris had four hits and Fellhauer one.

OC CLASHES IN OMAHA

Monday’s meeting between Orange County and Big West Conference rivals marked the first time two teams from the same county have played in the College World Series.

Two teams from the same county have made the eight-team field twice previously.

Stanford and San Jose State were in the field in 2000, while Long Beach State and USC both appeared in the 1998 College World Series.

‘EATERS GAINING GROUND

It was the third time in four meetings that UCI has beaten Cal State Fullerton this season. The Anteaters won two of three from the Titans during their conference series in April at Goodwin Field.

UCI Coach Dave Serrano said earning bragging rights from their county rivals is yet another feat in a season of accomplishments by the Anteaters.

“Beating that Cal State Fullerton team is a great accomplishment,” Serrano said. “It shows how much we’ve climbed the ladder to be compared with that program, which has gained so much national recognition. We’re not on that level yet, but we’re getting there.”

Serrano also expressed pride over how both teams represented the West Coast and the Big West Conference.

“That was West Coast baseball at its finest,” Serrano said. “I think a lot of America got to see a little bit about what Big West baseball is all about. That was like an intra-squad game at Rosenblatt Stadium, because of the way the two teams mirror each other.”

WALLACH WALLOPS WES

UCI starter Wes Etheridge had allowed just one earned run in 19 postseason innings, before giving up four earned runs and nine hits in six innings Monday against the Titans.

It was not the first time he had been roughed up by Fullerton, which produced seven earned runs and nine hits in three innings against Etheridge in his April 6 start at Cal State Fullerton.

Etheridge has had particular difficulty with Fullerton junior Matt Wallach.

Wallach, who was Etheridge’s battery mate as a catcher at Cypress Community College last season, homered and singled off Etheridge Monday and is now four for five with two homers and six RBIs against his former teammate this season.

BLEACHER REACHERS

Taylor Holiday’s home run in the sixth inning was his first big fly since he hit two in the same game against Long Beach State on April 1, a span of 33 games.

Cody Cipriano’s homer in the seventh not only gave him a school-record 13 this year, it also gave him 20 for his career, one shy of the ‘Eaters’ career mark of 21 set by Jaime Martinez, who was a senior last season.

MOUNTING MISCUES

UCI’s six errors Monday were a season high. Its previous high this season was four, in a 12-0 loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on April 15 and on March 27, in an 11-6 setback to UNLV.

PETERSEN DISPLAYS POWER

In addition to connecting on the game-winning single Monday, Petersen displayed his power.

He drove a home run over the bleachers in right field during batting practice and fouled a ball over the roof that covers the press box in the game.

UCI MOUND ASSIGNMENT

UCI freshman Eric Pettis (4-0 with a 4.36 earned-run average) will get the start today at 4 p.m. against Arizona State.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.