College Baseball: ‘Eaters claim finale

In pregame ceremonies honoring departing seniors, it was revealed that five of the six UC Irvine players recognized would like to go into coaching or athletic administration.

At some point then, it would follow that their final collegiate game would come up in discussions with their future players. It will be a story of redemption, perseverance and competitive spirit.

“Hard work pays off,” UCI senior outfielder and hero Wyatt Castro said of the resounding theme of Saturday’s Big West Conference game that he may share with high school or junior college players he might coach.

Castro’s credibility on the issue can’t be questioned, after he came through with the game-winning hit in a 7-6 season-ending victory over Cal State Northridge at Anteater Ballpark.

The line-drive single to right field with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, broke a 6-6 tie. It also created an uplifting end to a season that for Castro and the Anteaters alike will conjure reflective disappointment.

“It was a good feeling, particularly for Castro,” UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said after the Anteaters finished 31-25, 11-13 and tied for seventh place in the nine-team Big West. UCI missed the postseason for the second straight year and had a losing conference record for the first time since 2005. “And [Castro] deserved to have a good feeling after a real tough year.”

Castro, whom Gillespie said in the preseason could be a breakout standout in 2016, entered the game hitting .218 with 19 hits and nine runs batted in. He had been relegated to a reserve role for most of conference play.

“I’m very happy to end my senior season that way and end the season as a team that way,” said Castro, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, when he walked. “It’s a big win.

“I was hopeful I would get a chance to play and an opportunity to contribute. I was down at the bat rack in the sixth inning waiting on my chance.”

Castro would not have gotten his chance to win the game without junior outfielder Adam Alcantara, who went four for four with four RBIs, including a two-run inside-the-park home run in the third inning. Alcantara, who was seven for 12 with six RBIs in the series, singled in a run in the first inning. His double with one out in the ninth drove in sophomore designated hitter Keston Hiura, whose fly ball to right field was miss-played for a double to open the inning.

Junior shortstop John Brontsema singled in a run to pull the Anteaters within 5-4 in the seventh inning. Two batters later, senior Mitchell Holland doubled to allow Brontsema to score and knot the score at 5-5.

Northridge (33-22, 11-13) regained the lead on the first career homer by junior Bobby Schuman in the eighth. The Matadors maintained the lead when UCI senior Jonathan Munoz, who walked twice in his two plate appearances off the bench, was thrown out at home trying to score from second on Brontsema’s single to center field in the eighth.

Brontsema finished three for five with two runs and one RBI to help fuel UCI’s 12-hit attack.

Junior closer Calvin Faucher struck out the side in a perfect ninth inning to earn the victory and improve to 3-1.

“It was not the year we wanted, but we finished strong and competed to the very end which is important,” said Alcantara, who with the departures of Palmer, pitcher Elliot Surrey and Munoz becomes the only remaining ‘Eater to have played in the 2014 College World Series. “It’s great for Wyatt, who is a really good teammate and a guy that hung in there and stuck with it all year and never had anything bad to say.”

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 7, CSUN 6

SCORE BY INNINGS

CSUN 010 310 010 – 6 7 0

UCI 102 000 2020 – 7 12 3

Rosenberg, Troupe (7), O’Neil (7) and Weiss; Bishop, Ritchey (5), Riddle (8), Faucher (9) and Reitano, Mazur. W – Faucher, 3-1. L – O’Neil, 5-5.

barry.faulkner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5