College Roundup: UCI baseball claims third in Big West

BASEBALL

UC Irvine 5, Cal State Northridge 1

NORTHRIDGE — Senior Evan Manarino posted his second career complete game and junior first baseman Mitchell Holland capped a sparkling Big West Conference series by going four for five with two runs batted in and one run on Saturday at the Matadors’ field.

UCI (33-23, 15-9 in conference) claims sole possession of third place in the Big West and will await word Sunday on whether it will earn an at-large berth into the NCAA regionals.

Manarino allowed seven hits and struck out eight to improve to 7-3.

Senior Kris Paulino was two for four with two runs, while freshman Keston Hiura hit his seventh home run of the season to finish one for two. Hiura also walked three times and scored twice. He completes his first regular season with a .330 average, seven homers and a school-freshman record 52 RBIs.

Holland was eight for 13 in the series with seven RBIs to up his total to 35, second-best on the team.

UCI, which won the series, two games to one, won 11 three-game series in the regular season.

CSUN is 33-24, 8-16.

—

Faulkner 4, Vanguard 1

LEWISTON, Idaho — Vanguard senior Brandon Sandoval went four for four with a run and a stolen base to lead the No. 10-seeded Lions in the second round of the NAIA World Series at Lewis-Clark State College on Saturday.

The loss puts Vanguard (39-21) into an elimination game on Monday at 9 a.m. against No. 9-seeded St. Thomas of Florida (45-17).

No. 2-seeded Faulkner (49-13) scored three in the second inning to take control and produced six hits and four runs, (two earned) off VU starter Scott Torrey, who took the loss. Torrey absorbed his first loss in seven decisions this season.

Vanguard, for which Brock Eissman, David Stone and Kevin Bettencourt added singles to round out the seven-hit attack, committed two errors.

It was stolen base No. 26 of the season for Sandoval.

—

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

NAIA championships

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Vanguard University senior Zach Espinoza earned All-American honors by finishing fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday.

Espinoza’s time was 9 minutes, 4.65 seconds, allowing him to earn a top-eight finish worthy of All-American recognition.

Vanguard sophomore Zach Hunt was 11th in the marathon (two hours, 45 minutes, 45.40 seconds).

—

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

NAIA championships

GUILF SHORES, Ala. — Vanguard University senior Marline Estell finished ninth in the 3,000 steeplechase on Saturday.

Her time of 11 minutes, 9.07 seconds was less than a second behind eighth place, for which All-American recognition is awarded.

Estell broke her own school record with a time of 11:05.01 in qualifying earlier at the meet.