Bergman keys ‘Eaters’ triumph

SALT LAKE CITY — Junior pitcher Christian Bergman threw a complete-game four-hitter and juniors Francis Larson and Dillon Bell both homered to pace No. 1-ranked UC Irvine to a 10-1 nonconference baseball win Friday at Utah.

The win, the Anteaters’ seventh straight, clinched the three-game nonconference series win for UCI (30-10).

Bergman struck out a career-high nine to post his first career complete game and improve to 7-1. He did not issue a walk and faced four over the minimum.

Larson capped a three-for-four performance by launching his team-best eighth dinger of the season in the ninth. He finished with two runs batted in. Larson’s 16 career homers move him into a tie for third on the school’s all-time list, five behind co-leaders Jaime Martinez and Cody Cipriano.

Bell hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and he finished two four four.

Junior second baseman Casey Stevenson went three four five with two RBIs, while junior first baseman Jeff Cusick and senior shortstop Ben Orloff each had a pair of hits to help ’Eaters’ collect 16 hits.

Nonconference

UC Irvine 10, Utah 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bergman and Larson; Wilding, Askew (7), Clausing (9) and Walker. W – Bergman, 7-1. L – Wilding, 1-5. 2B – Larson (UCI), Cusick (UCI), Cron (U), Walker (U), Jones (U). HR – Larson (UCI), Bell (UCI).