Bergman staying strong

IRVINE — Even though Kyle Necke got the final two outs to record the save, UC Irvine starting pitcher Christian Bergman showed again Saturday why he is earning a reputation as a dependable finisher for the Anteaters’ baseball team.

On the heels of a one-hit shutout in which he retired 26 consecutive hitters and faced the minimum 27 on April 22 at UC Davis, Bergman retired the final 15 Cal State Bakersfield hitters he faced to earn the victory in a 3-2 nonconference triumph at Anteater Ballpark.

Bergman, allowed just four hits in 8 2/3 innings to improve to 5-2 and lower his earned-run average to 4.33. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk, throwing 76 of his 112 pitches for strikes.

Bergman, who needed just 89 pitches on his way to earning several national player of the week honors for his masterpiece against UC Davis, said he was not disappointed by being denied the chance for his second straight complete game.

“I’m fine handing the ball off to Necke,” said Bergman, who has two of the Anteaters’ complete games this season after registering just one in his first three seasons. “I’m not real big on the complete-game column. It’s really not a big deal to me. If I can save eight or 10 pitches until next weekend, it’s fine with me.”

Necke got both hitters he faced to post his seventh save, completing the second straight 3-2 win over the Roadrunners (18-22).

UCI (26-14), which has won all 10 games in which it has held opponents to two runs or fewer, managed just enough offense against a pair of Roadrunner pitchers.

“There wasn’t much wiggle room and it was the same way [Friday],” UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said. “If you’re only going to get three, they better only get two, and that’s first about [Bergman]. We did do three or four things on defense. I’d like to [hit] more [UCI had seven hits and now has 12 in two games against Bakersfield], but I think we faced legitimate pitching both [Friday and Saturday].”

Roardunners starter Matt Reyes allowed three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings, before Martin Medina pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.

Including a 4-1 loss at UCLA on Tuesday, UCI has just 18 hits and seven runs its last three games. It’s the lowest-scoring three-game stretch of the season for the ’Eaters. UCI has not had fewer runs in a three-game stretch since scoring six in a three-game set at Cal State Northridge in May, 2008.

Senior right fielder Sean Madigan went three for three to pace the hosts, who left the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth innings.

Madigan singled to lead off a two-run first inning for the ’Eaters. He advanced to third on a double by senior second baseman Casey Stevenson and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Brian Hernandez.

A two-out triple by sophomore designated hitter Jordan Leyland drove in Hernandez to stake Bergman to an early lead.

Leadoff triples in the second and fourth innings by senior right fielder Jason Kudlock helped the visitors pull even, as Kudlock scored on a groundout each time.

UCI regained the lead in the fourth, when Stevenson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to finalize the scoring.

Senior catcher Francis Larson started the rally with a one-out walk and sophomore shortstop D.J. Crumlich followed with a single. Madigan was hit by Reyes’ final pitch, before Medina nailed Stevenson for the difference in the game.

Bergman then got in a groove.

“It was kind of like last week, in that it took an inning or so to get everything working,” Bergman said. “And once I settled in, I just cruised from there.

“The cutter wasn’t working as well as it was last week. But I had the fastball in and out, the change and the curveball all working. When you’re able to throw three pitches, it makes it a lot easier.”

Nonconference

UC Irvine 3, Cal State Bakersfield 2

SCORE BY INNINGS

Reyes, Medina (4) and Rodriguez; Bergman, Necke (9) and Larson. W – Bergman, 5-2. L – Reyes, 3-3. Sv – Necke (7). 2B – Rodriguez (CSUB), Stevenson (UCI), Cusick (UCI). 3B – Kudlock (CSUB) 2, Leyland (UCI).