The UCLA Bruins relied on a pair of freshmen pitchers on Sunday, and it almost worked. However, UC Irvine rallied for two runs in the ninth inning to beat the Bruins 4-3, winning the Los Angeles Region of the 2011 NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Anteaters were 3-0 during the Los Angeles Regional.
Freshman hurler Zack Weiss allowed two runs on six hits in the first eight innings, walking three while striking out six. Weiss began the ninth inning, but was removed after walking leadoff man Jonathan Hurst. Nick Vander Tuig, who pitched the final 1 1/3 innings in the first game on Sunday, allowed the tying and winning runs to score on a double, a bunt single, and a single to right field by Ronnie Shaeffer.
UC Irvine will move on to face national top seed Virginia in the super regionals, for the right to play in the College World Series in Omaha.
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