Local leads Irvine to win

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.

Christian Bergman (St. Francis High, 2006) senior, UC Irvine baseball: Bergman’s starting effort on the mound on Saturday was enough to keep the Anteaters moving along in their quest to advance to the 2010 College World Series out of the Los Angeles Regional.

The former Golden Knight pitched five innings against Kent State at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium, during which he allowed one earned run on five hits and a walk and left the game with a 15-1 lead.

Kent State came alive for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth, but UC Irvine was still able to hold on for a 19-9 win.

Bergman, whose scoreless innings streak ended at 27 2/3 innings in the bottom of the fourth, improved to 9-3 on the year and lowered his earned-run average to 3.72.

As of press time Sunday, UC Irvine was playing LSU in an elimination game for the right to meet UCLA in the Regional final later on Sunday.

Baillie Kirker (Crescenta Valley High, 2009) freshman, University of Arizona softball: After getting clobbered by Tennessee, 9-0, in the opening round of the 2010 Women’s College World Series, the Wildcats regrouped nicely over the weekend to post three huge wins in elimination games at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Behind a two-hitter from pitcher Kenzie Fowler, in which Kirker started at first base and was 0 for two at the plate before being pulled for a pinch hitter, Arizona knocked off Hawaii, 5-1, on Saturday evening to advance to a rematch with Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.

This time, it was Arizona flexing its muscle in an 8-0 dismantling of the Lady Vols, in which Fowler tossed another two-hitter and Kirker played the entire five-inning game at first base.

Kirker went 0 for three with two strikeouts in the Wildcats’ 4-3 win over Washington on Saturday that started the three-game streak.

As of press time on Sunday, Kirker and the Wildcats were preparing to play Tennessee one more time on Sunday night for the right to meet UCLA in the finals beginning today at 5 p.m. PDT.

Kathryn Poet (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2007) junior, University of Missouri softball: Poet did not play in the Tigers’ 5-0 loss to Florida in the 2010 Women’s College World Series on Saturday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

The defeat ended Missouri’s season with a 51-13 record.