‘Eaters let USD end well

IRVINE — The UC Irvine baseball brain trust will meet with administrators today to mull whether or not the top-ranked Anteaters will bid to play host to an NCAA Regional in a little more than two weeks.

Some 90 miles to the south, the players and coaches from the University of San Diego will mull banquet speeches.

The latter got a lot more entertaining after the visiting Toreros scored seven runs in the ninth to break a 2-2 tie and claim a 9-2 nonconference triumph Tuesday at Anteater Ballpark.

The win, the fourth in USD’s last four games against No. 1-ranked teams, gave the West Coast Conference squad (29-25) a two-game sweep against UCI (37-12) this season. USD swept then-top-ranked Texas to open the 2006 season.

“Thank God we’re done with them,” said UCI Coach Mike Gillespie, who had a spirited speech of his own for his players after UCI’s seven-game winning streak came to an end. UCI, which has clinched at least a share of the program’s first Big West Conference championship and can clinch outright with a win in any of its six remaining conference games, had won 14 of its last 15 and 17 of its previous 20.

“I think we all should agree that it’s pretty embarrassing that you could have that variety of mistakes in the 49th game,” said Gillespie, who was more than mildly disappointed with breakdowns he cited in the bunting game, base running, defense and execution of pitch.

“We always want to win, but the goal to that end is to play the game right and play it well,” Gillespie said. “I think you’re going to screw up a few times and that can happen. But I don’t think this was acceptable.”

That being said, UCI scored two in the eighth to erase a 2-0 deficit.

Ronnie Shaeffer led off with a single, then a walk and two hit batsmen, the latter absorbed by Cory Olson with the bases loaded and one out, put UCI on the board after USD starter AJ Griffin had blanked the hosts on five hits before exiting after the seventh.

Senior shortstop Ben Orloff plated the tying run with a safety squeeze bunt single on a 2-2 pitch.

But San Diego junior reliever Matt Hauser, a product of Corona del Mar High and Orange Coast College, got the visitors out of the inning and picked up his fifth win of the season, his second against UCI.

Griffin, who threw a complete game Friday, struck out seven and walked five. He threw 117 pitches to help USD end its season on a high note.

“I admire his toughness and he was good tonight,” Gillespie said of Griffin, who entered with an 8-3 record and a 3.45 earned-run average.

After junior All-American closer Eric Pettis got the first out of the ninth, a single and walk set the table for Bryan Haar, who launched a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left for a three-run homer, his fifth of the season.

A three-run double by pinch-hitter Mike Lugo helped add to the lead, as UCI needed three pitchers to get out of the inning.

Senior Eric Deragisch was two for five, while Olson was one for one and reached all four plate appearances (two walks and the aforementioned pitch off his back).

UCI starter Brock Bardeen allowed one run in four innings, but UCI’s offense struggled against Griffin.

UCI left 13 men on base, including five in scoring position in the first four innings.

“We’ll just try to get over our embarrassment and our inability to do some things and try to get back out there [today],” Gillespie said.

UCI freshman third baseman DJ Crumlich returned after being out 16 days due to an appendectomy.

UCI plays host to a three-game Big West series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.