Anteaters come undone

IRVINE — In addition to knocking off the top-ranked team in the country Saturday night, the Virginia Cavaliers also beat the odds.

And with four errors and an atypical lack of timely hitting, some might suggest UC Irvine helped beat itself.

The Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament champions, ranked in the top 10 in several polls, posted a 5-0 victory over UC Irvine in the winners bracket semifinal of the NCAA Regional at Anteater Ballpark.

The loss drops the Anteaters (44-14) into today’s 4 p.m. elimination game against San Diego State (41-22).

UCI, which was last blanked March 7, 2008 at Tulane (109 games ago), will need to win twice today, first against the Aztecs, then again over Virginia (45-12-1) in an 8 p.m. contest, to force a championship game Monday night, also at 8.

UCI put its leadoff man on base in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings, only to come up empty each time. It also had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth and left men on the corners in the ninth.

The ’Eaters’ season-worst error total contributed to a two-run rally in the fifth, as well as three more runs in the sixth to propel the Cavaliers to their seventh straight win.

UCI, the designated visitor, saw its seven-game winning streak in regional play halted.

Virginia posted its first hit off UCI junior starter Christian Bergman with two outs in the fourth. But the Cavaliers had three hits off the right-hander in each of the next two frames to chase him with two outs in the sixth.

Bergman absorbed his second straight loss to fall to 9-3.

Freshman John Hicks doubled with one out in the fifth and moved to third on a bloop single to center by junior catcher Franco Valdes.

Freshman second baseman Keith Werman followed with what appeared to be a tailor-made double-play ball to senior shortstop Ben Orloff. But second baseman Casey Stevenson’s relay throw to first was low and skidded into the dugout, nixing the double play, allowing Hicks to score and letting Werman go to second.

Sophomore center fielder Jarrett Parker followed with an RBI single to right to double the lead.

A throwing error by Orloff, the Big West Conference Player of the Year, triggered the three-run Virginia sixth.

After a groundout moved Danny Hultzen to third, Steven Proscia singled to left to drive him home.

Tyler Cannon followed with a double and, after another groundout, Valdes singled in two to end Bergman’s night.

Cusick, freshman left fielder Jordan Fox and senior center fielder Eric Deragisch singled to start the second, third and sixth innings for the ’Eaters. And freshman designated hitter Ronnie Shaeffer led off the fourth with a walk.

But double plays helped sabotage scoring chances in the second and sixth and Cusick popping out on a would-be sacrifice bunt attempt helped Virginia starting pitcher Hultzen strand two runners in the fourth.

Hultzen, a left-hander, allowed six hits in 7 1/3 innings to improve to 9-1.

Orloff, Deragisch and Shaeffer singled with one out to load the bases in the eighth, but Cusick grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Deragisch and Stevenson were two for four to pace UCI, which is 0-2 in elimination games in its four previous regional appearances.

NCAA Regional

Virgina 5, UC Irvine0

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bergman, Avison (7), Dufour (8) and Larson; Hultzen, Wilson (8), Packer (9) and Valdes. W – Hultzen, 9-1. L – Bergman, 9-3. 2B – Hicks (V), Cannon (V).