Cassel paces UCI victory

UC Irvine sophomore Justin Cassel pitched six scoreless innings and

received ample offensive support as the Anteaters beat No. 5-ranked

Arizona for the second straight day, 12-1, Saturday at Sacramento

State.

Cassel surrendred just three hits, while striking out four to

improve to 5-2.

Senior Michael Koehler did not allow an earned run in three relief

innings to post his second save for the designated home team.

R.J. Brown, who went the distance in his first collegiate start at

catcher, went 3 for 5 with two RBIs, while Danny Miramontes went 3

for 4 with one RBI and first baseman Jaime Martinez was 2 for 4 with

a home run and three RBIs to pace UCI’s 12-hit attack.

With its fourth straight win, UCI improved to 20-16, dropping the Wildcats to 27-13.

Nonconference

UC Irvine 12, Arizona 1

Score by Innings

*--*

Ariz. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 5 5

UCI 0 0 3 0 5 1 2 1 x - 12 12 1

*--*

Guyette, Mills, Jarrett, Baugh and Hundley, McDonald (9); Cassel,

Koehler and Brown. W -- Cassel, 5-2. L -- Guyette, 6-4. Sv -- Koehler

(2). 2B -- Brown (UCI). HR -- Martinez (UCI).

UCI men in final

* TENNIS: The top-seeded UC Irvine men’s tennis team defeated No.

4-seeded Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 4-1, in the semifinals of the Big

West Conference championships at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Saturday.

The Anteaters (13-8) will play No. 3-seeded University of the

Pacific for the title today at noon.

This will be the Anteaters first appearance in the Big West

Championship match since the 2001 season when they lost to Pacific.

Rye Kashiwabara, Olof Sjolund and Mustafa Ulukan won in singles

and doubles for the ‘Eaters.

Esquivel in semifinal

* TENNIS: Orange Coast College sophomore Michelle Esquivel

advanced to today’s semifinals with a quarterfinal singles victory in

the women’s community college division of the Ojai Valley tennis

tournament Saturday.

Esquivel, the No. 2 seed, defeated Charese Arrogante from Cerritos

College, 6-0, 6-1. She will meet unseeded Sarah Ramirez from

Bakersfield today at 8 a.m. in one semifinal at Libby Park. The

singles final is scheduled today at 11 a.m.

In other Ojai action Saturday, Corona del Mar High senior Wesley

Miller fell to No. 2 seed Blake Muller of Santa Barbara, 6-2, 1-6,

6-2, in the semifinals of the boys CIF singles division.

‘Eaters fall in semis

* TENNIS: Top-seeded University of the Pacific defeated the UC

Irvine women’s tennis team, 4-2, in the semifinals of the Big West

Conference championships Saturday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

UCI won the doubles point, but senior Anna Bentzer was the only

Anteater to win in singles. Bentzer defeated Vana Mzrazovic, 6-2,

6-2, in the No. 1 singles spot.

UCI, seeded No. 5, will play No. 2-seeded UC Santa Barbara for

third place today at noon.

Tars finish fourth

* VOLLEYBALL: The Newport Harbor high boys volleyball team

finished fourth in the 16-team Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions

Saturday.

The Sailors lost to Valencia from Valencia, 17-25, 25-17, 25-23,

25-20, in the semifinals Saturday morning and lost to Long Beach

Wilson, 28-26, 26-24, 25-20, in the third-place match.

Brett Perrine paced Newport (13-11) with 30 kills on the day and

Ted Slater finished with 62 assists.

Mesa swimmers shine

* SWIMMING: Costa Mesa High senior Evan Spencer and junior Kyle

Thorsness each earned sixth-place finishes to highlight Mustangs

competing in the Foothill Swim Games Saturday at Foothill High.

Spencer’s completed the 100-yard butterfly in 56 seconds, while

Thorsness clocked a time of 49.70 in the 100 freestyle.

Senior Adam Douglas was eighth overall (second in the six-swimmer

consolation heat) in the 100 free with a time of 50.21.

Thorsness was also 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:00.36), and swam

on the 200 free relay that finished fourth (1:31.40), as well as the

400 free relay that finished sixth (3:24.11).

Eagles finish eighth

* VOLLEYBALL: The Estancia High boys volleyball team finished

eighth in the 16-team Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions Saturday.

Saturday morning, Estancia lost to Dos Pueblos, 10-25, 25-21,

27-29, 25-17, 15-13. The Eagles fell to Clovis West in the

seventh-place game, 25-18, 25-20, 17-25, 27-25, Saturday afternoon.

Shaun Markley led Estancia (15-9) with 50 kills in the tournament,

followed by his twin brother, Scott, who had 47 kills. Middle blocker

Dallas Kopp registered 41 kills and Trevor Holmes had 130 assists.

Lion women take 6th

* TRACK AND FIELD: The Vanguard University men’s and women’s track

and field teams finished in sixth and seventh place, respectively, in

the Golden State Athletic Conference championships Saturday at Azusa

Pacific.

Debby Chop won the 100 meters (12.48). Jenny Thune was the only

other female Lion winner when she took first in the 800 (2:12.10)

Matt Meyer won the 1,500 (3.57.54).