UCLA, Pepperdine Win at Regional

Hector Ambriz pitched a complete game, giving up no earned runs, in a 3-2 victory over UC Irvine in a first-round NCAA Division I regional game at Pepperdine on Friday.

The No. 2-seeded Bruins (33-23) will play No. 1 Pepperdine (41-19) today at 3 p.m. The Waves downed Missouri, 3-2, in the second game.

In an elimination game today, No. 3 Irvine (36-23) will play No. 4 Missouri (36-23) at 11 a.m.

Ambriz, a junior, has been a mainstay for the Bruins as designated hitter, but Coach John Savage, who was facing an Irvine program he guided from 2002-2004, wanted him to focus on pitching against the Anteaters.

At least until he allowed him into the batting order in the sixth inning. Ambriz responded by singling twice in two at-bats.

Ambriz, a right-hander, struck out six and gave up only four hits -- two on comebackers that ricocheted off his throwing arm in the first two innings.

UCLA’s vaunted corps of freshmen also chipped in. Catcher Ryan Babineau hit a solo home run in the fifth inning and shortstop Brandon Crawford drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the seventh.

That was all Ambriz needed, as he retired 13 of the last 14 Irvine batters.

He was asked afterward which he liked best, pitching or hitting.

But before Ambriz could respond, Savage leaned into the microphone and said, “Pitching. That would be pitching.”

Junior right-hander Justin Cassel threw 7 1/3 innings for UC Irvine, striking out seven and walking one.

Pepperdine 3, Missouri 2 -- Denny Duron and Matt Aidem hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the seventh inning for the Waves.

Right-hander Barry Enright (13-1) earned the victory, giving up seven hits and striking out three in 7 1/3 innings.

The game was a scoreless duel between Enright and Missouri right-hander Max Scherzer through five innings.

Derek Chambers gave Missouri a 1-0 lead in the sixth with a solo home run, but Pepperdine tied it in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Chad Tracy that scored Aidem.

Pepperdine took a 3-1 lead into the ninth, when an RBI infield single by J.C. Field brought the Tigers to within a run.

Pepperdine closer Brett Hunter, a freshman, ended Missouri’s rally by coaxing Trevor Helms into a groundout, leaving the tying run at third.

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Cal State Fullerton 6, St. Louis 1 -- Given a gift-wrapped NCAA regional devoid of top-25 opponents, the host Titans took advantage with a methodical victory at Goodwin Field.

Fullerton (44-13) will play Fresno State tonight at 8. The Bulldogs defeated San Diego, 9-8, in the first game Friday.

Titans starter Lauren Gagnier yielded only three hits in seven shutout innings, striking out a career-high 10. Danny Dorn hit a two-run homer. St. Louis helped out with errors that led to two unearned runs.

It was a rude welcome-back for the Billikens, who last reached the NCAA tournament in 1966. They are 32-28, only the second winning record in the last 29 seasons for a program that has had only nine players taken in the amateur draft (Fullerton had 14 players drafted in 2005 alone). No Billiken has ever reached the big leagues.

In short, this was the aroma of a team that was just happy to be here, perfect fodder for the Titans, who are seeded fifth overall in the tournament.

The Billikens crossed the continent in the last week, winning the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament in New York on Sunday. They rode a bus back to St. Louis, learning that they were being shipped to Southern California while at a restaurant just outside Columbus, Ohio.

Titans Coach George Horton seemed comfortable enough with the matchup to hold out Wes Roemer, his No. 1 starter, until today. Gagnier (13-4) proved to be no break for the Billikens, striking out seven of the first 14 batters he faced.

Dorn broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning by launching a 3-2 pitch over the center-field fence for a 2-0 lead. It was Dorn’s sixth career postseason home run. The Titans played small ball in extending the lead and were aided by Billikens errors. Fullerton scored two runs on one hit in the sixth and one run without a hit in the seventh.

-- Chris Foster