‘Eaters dominate

IRVINE — Freshman catcher Ronnie Shaeffer went four for six with three runs batted in and a home run to lead the UC Irvine baseball team to its 14th straight Big West Conference win, a 19-6 victory over UC Davis Saturday at Anteater Ballpark.

Shaeffer raised his average to .412 in 131 at-bats this season as No. 1-ranked UCI improved to 39-12, 19-1 in conference.

The Anteaters, who have already clinched the program’s first outright Big West crown, have now won all seven conference series thus far this season.

Christian Bergman worked six solid innings to improve to 9-1, while Ben Orloff, Eric Deragisch and Ryan Fisher all had three hits apiece for the winners.

Fisher drove in three runs and Deragisch drove in two, as did junior first baseman Jeff Cusick, who homered for the second straight game and now had six dingers this season.

Shaeffer’s homer was his fifth of the season, as he filled in behind the plate for junior Francis Larson, who is out with a sprained left wrist.

The 19 runs ties a season high for the ’Eaters, who have outscored conference rivals, 164-78, this season.

The series finale is today at 1 p.m.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 19, UC Davis 6

SCORE BY INNINGS

Lyman, Busbin (5), Lewis (7) and Kalush, Johnson; Bergman, Necky (7), Hamilton (8), Dufour (9) and Shaeffer. W – Bergman, 9-1. L – Lyman, 0-4. 2B – Orloff (UC), Reyes (UCI), Shaeffer (UCI), Asaro (UCI), Crumlich (UCI), Bauer (UCD), Hirneise (UCD). 3B – Deragisch (UCI). HR – Cusick (UCI), Shaeffer (UCI), Johnson (UCD).