COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Irvine Loses Eight-Run Lead, Then Wins in 11th

UC Irvine lost an eight-run lead in the ninth inning but came back to win, 13-12, in 11 innings Thursday in a nonconference baseball game against Cal Poly Pomona at Irvine.

The Anteaters scored 10 runs in the first inning and led, 12-4, to start the ninth. But the first 10 Pomona batters reached safely and the Broncos tied the score, 12-12, and had two runners on with nobody out. Pomona had the bases loaded with one out when Irvine second baseman Jon Damusch caught a line drive to start an inning-ending double play.

In the 11th, Billy Bardens had a two-out single to score Shelby Niss with the winning run. Niss started the inning with a single, was sacrificed to second by Joe Sewell and went to third on a groundout.

Al Rodriguez and Craig Plumley had three hits and three RBIs each and Fred Combs had two hits and three RBIs for Irvine. Plumley had a three-run double in the first for Irvine (7-6). Pomona is 3-12.

In other nonconference games:

Southern California College 5, Western New Mexico 1 (11 innings)--Brett Howard hit a grand slam with nobody out in the 11th for host SCC (5-3-1).

The Vanguards took a 1-0 lead on a home run by Alex Andrade in the fifth, but starter Larry Jacinot allowed a one-out home run in the ninth that tied the score.

In the 11th, Joe Aversa walked and took second on a throwing error. Sean Maharg walked and Doug Rystrom’s bloop single loaded the bases. Aversa (2-0) pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for the victory.

Christ College Irvine 3, Redlands 1--Lou Simon had an RBI double in the sixth and Rodney Nelson had a two-run single in the seventh to give Irvine a 3-0 lead.

In nonconference softball:

Southern California College 8-5, Occidental 0-0--Stephanie Wills tripled twice, scored a run and had four RBIs and Torrey Serapion pitched a three-hitter, striking out four and not allowing a walk, to lead SCC (4-4) in the first game. Nancy Sala (2-3) got the victory, allowing three hits in the second game.

Chapman 2-6, Cal State San Bernardino 0-3--Jackie Blake (2-0) allowed two hits and had 11 strikeouts and Laura Papadas and Rose Conner had RBI singles in the sixth for Chapman in the first game at San Bernardino. Shelly Mahon had a two-run double in the sixth in the second game for Chapman.

In Big West Conference women’s basketball:

San Diego State 67, UC Irvine 54--Julie Evans scored a game-high 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field to lead visiting San Diego State (5-21, 4-11). Yvonne Catals had 16 points and Jenny Lee added 12 for Irvine (1-25, 0-16).

UC Santa Barbara 65, Cal State Fullerton 55--Kathy Werth had 18 points and 14 rebounds for visiting Fullerton (11-13, 6-9). Genia Miller added 14 points and Jill Matyuch 10 for Fullerton.