Aztecs

The UC Irvine women's soccer team fell to San Diego State, 2-0, Sunday afternoon in the UCI Nike/Holiday Inn invitational at Anteater Stadium. San Diego State (5-2), which won the tournament, outshot the Anteaters, 19-2, and forced four corner kicks as UCI fell to 1-4-1. Britney Webster and Kathleen Lemieux took the Anteaters only two shots, while 10 different Aztecs attempted shots on goal. Erika Sutton tallied both goals for SDSU, the first coming in the 56th minute off of an assist from Alicia Piz on a cross over the middle.

NEWPORT BEACH ? The Newport Harbor High baseball program added another eye-opening victory this season by rallying or a 2-1 triumph over La Quinta in the quarterfinals of the Beach Pit Classic on Monday at Newport Harbor High. The Sailors (9-7), scored two in the sixth inning to overcome a 1-0 deficit and held on to topple the Aztecs (14-3), ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division III. Newport Harbor advances to today's semifinals against El Rancho at noon at Corona del Mar High.

SAN DIEGO ? The UC Irvine baseball team scored three in the ninth inning to tie and two in the 10th to defeat San Diego State, 8-6, Sunday at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Anteaters (9-5) swept the three-game nonconference series and have won five straight. Cody Cipriano capped the three-run ninth with a two-out RBI single to knot the score. In the 10th, Josh Tavelli singled in the go-ahead run with two outs, then scored on Gary Dudrey's triple. Junior All-American closer Blair Erickson pitched two scoreless relief innings to earn his first victory of the season.

Tony Altobelli NEWPORT BEACH - Some games are played where the action on the field was much closer than the lopsided score would indicate. This was not the case Thursday night. Costa Mesa High, led by C.J. Zuniga's 160 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns, cruised to a 63-0 blowout win over hapless and winless La Quinta at Newport Harbor High. Mesa (6-2), ranked No. 8 in CIF Southern Section Division IX, jumped out to a 56-0 lead at halftime, shattering the all-time school record for points in a half.

After falling behind, 1-0, after doubles play, the visiting San Diego State women's tennis team claimed four out of six singles sets to halt UC Irvine's winning streak at three and claim a 4-3 nonconference victory Saturday at Anteater Tennis Stadium. Inna Agababian gave UCI (4-4) a 3-2 lead with her 6-3, 6-4 victory over Indra Erichsen at No. 3 singles after UCI's Anna Bentzer downed Dita Hauerlandova, 6-0, 7-5, to make it 2-2. But the Aztecs (4-3)

For a photo gallery of this game, click here. PLACENTIA — The helicopter landed at midfield, stirring the crowd as it shook the stadium at halftime. Newport Harbor High was not nearby, but it desperately needed its offense to be rescued. Too bad the helicopter was for Esperanza’s homecoming festivities. The Sailors came to Esperanza’s turf, Valencia High, trying to show that last year’s upset against the Aztecs in their return to the Sunset League was no fluke.

IRVINE — Will he or won’t he? San Diego State Coach Tony Gwynn was adamant about not revealing whether junior pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg would start today against Virginia in the first game of the Irvine Regional at 4 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark. But he might have inadvertently done just that Thursday after the Aztecs’ brief workout at UCI. After showing some frustration with media inquiries about whether Strasburg — the projected No. 1 pick in the June 9 major league draft who is 13-0 with a 1.24 earned-run average and has 180 strikeouts in 102 innings this season — would get the opening-game start or be held until Saturday, Gwynn might have slipped when talking about Strasburg’s pitching prowess.

COSTA MESA - An offensive onslaught by the Costa Mesa High girls soccer team made visiting La Quinta goalie Lilliana Cabrera thankful for the upcoming holiday break, while also producing a 4-0 nonleague win Thursday. Cabrera, whom Costa Mesa Coach Dan Johnston said "was terrific," had 21 saves, 21 more than two Mesa keepers, as the Mustangs improved to 6-2-2 to close out their preleague campaign. Sophomore Sharon Day had a goal and two assits, while Devin Denman, Natalie Masciale and Chelsea Soria accounted for the other Mesa goals.

Barry Faulkner COSTA MESA - The Estancia High boys basketball team exchanged customary handshakes with nonleague visitor La Quinta Thursday night, following the Eagles' 61-47 triumph. But, since the Aztecs have been party to most of the good times during the first quarter of the Eagles' season, perhaps postseason banquet invitations would have been more appropriate. The victory was Estancia's second over La Quinta in six days, improving the Eagles to 3-4 and dropping the Garden Grove League representative to 0-7. But, unlike the 82-59 pasting Estancia put on the Aztecs Saturday in the 15th-place game of the La Quinta Tournament, this one held some suspense, at least until halftime.

The last time Newport Harbor High faced Esperanza, all Coach Jeff Brinkley recalls is the football field being wet. The Sailors definitely got their feet wet in their return to the Sunset League last year. In their first league game, they pulled out a stunning 21-13 victory at home. No showers are in the forecast for Round 2 tonight at 7, as Newport Harbor plays Esperanza at Valencia High. Again the Aztecs enter the game undefeated and ranked in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division.

IRVINE - Even though UC Irvine freshman designated hitter Connor Spencer continues to solidify his spot atop the team batting average leader board, it's still the seniors who move the productivity needle most often for the Anteaters. Spencer, who came in batting a team-best .367, had two singles and drove in three runs in a 10-5 nonconference baseball triumph over visiting San Diego State on Tuesday. But seniors Jordan Fox, Tommy Reyes and D.J. Crumlich combined for seven hits, four RBIs and six runs to help the Anteaters get back on track after having lost five of their previous six. Senior starting pitcher Crosby Slaught allowed one hit in three scoreless innings to record the victory.

COSTA MESA - The Estancia High girls' basketball team picked a bad time to play its worst game of the season. Twenty-one points is all the Eagles managed to score in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3A playoffs. They have struggled shooting all season, but never like Thursday's contest at home. Despite converting just six field goals, Estancia still had a shot to beat Azusa. The Aztecs shot slightly better and it was enough for the at-large team to pull off a 25-21 victory.

San Diego State is set to join the Big West Conference in several sports, most notably men's basketball, for the 2013-14 school year. The recent announcement was heralded enthusiastically by Big West officials, who are paid to be enthusiastic about such things. For those who follow Big West basketball, the arrival of the Aztecs, currently surging under Coach Steve Fisher, clearly adds some legitimacy to a conference that has lacked impact on the national stage since before most of its current players were born.

IRVINE - The UC Irvine women's basketball team got a jump on the temperature gauge Friday night, as its nationally-ranked shooting proficiency cooled considerably in a 76-57 nonconference home loss to San Diego State. The Anteaters (4-6), who had won three straight, came into the week ranked No, 16 nationally, shooting 45.4% from the field. But the taller, quicker, more aggressive Aztecs limited UCI to a 29.5% clip from the field (18 for 61). Junior Jazmyne White, who came in shooting 59.5% (No. 11 in the nation)

PALM DESERT — Twenty hours after the Estancia High baseball program was on a high it last experienced 19 years ago, the Eagles came back down to earth Thursday. Tyler Rios said he was exhausted when he got off the bus at Palm Desert. Making a 115-mile trip after Estancia the night before won its first CIF Southern Section playoff game since 1992 took its toll. A second postseason victory in Division IV was out of the picture. The 2½-drive to Palm Desert lasted longer than the actual first-round game.

WESTMINSTER — In practice this week, Newport Harbor High softball Coach Tony Qualin said the Sailors went over bunting and base running. His team did neither well Wednesday in the La Quinta Tournament championship game. Twice bunts were popped up and caught in foul territory. Two runners were doubled off second base, and a sign was missed that resulted in another runner being tagged out on a squeeze play. There's always room for improvement for the Sailors. There was also room in Qualin's hands for a championship trophy.

BASEBALL UC Irvine 7, San Diego State (10 innings) SAN DIEGO — An error that led to an unearned run in the ninth inning cost senior Brian Hernandez his first collegiate save, but the Anteaters scored four in the 10th to give Hernandez his first collegiate win in nonconference action Tuesday. Junior Jordan Fox paced a nine-hit attack for the visitors (4-0), going two for five. Tommy Reyes drove in two runs, while Hernandez, Drew Hillman and Ronnie Shaeffer added single RBIs for the winners.

IRVINE — It appeared, for a time, that the UC Irvine baseball team had stumbled into position to edge San Diego State Tuesday night at Anteater Ballpark. But, ultimately, it was the UCI bullpen that stumbled in the ninth inning, allowing the Aztecs to rally for a 6-5 nonconference victory that snapped the No. 18-ranked Anteaters’ four-game winning streak. UCI scored the go-ahead run on a steal of home with two outs in the eighth to break a 4-4 tie. The play involved some deception.

PLACENTIA — Not bound by the tug of subjectivity, a philosopher might suggest there’s a lesson in the second helping of coin-flip futility forced upon the Newport Harbor High football program Friday night. But without the luxury of objectivity, Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley found almost no words, and even less reason in the scene that brought a sudden halt to the postgame celebration after a 13-10 Sunset League win over host Esperanza at Valencia High. Not more than 10 minutes after the Aztecs’ would-be game-tying field goal from 37-yards out sailed wide left with three seconds left, giving the Sailors (6-4, 3-2 in league)

Mike Bargas coaches football and teaches health. But the Estancia High head man also dabbles in psychology. So the Eagles’ third-year coach believes his team’s ability to extend a recent winning streak when it faces winless La Quinta tonight at 7 at Estancia, is as important as continued improvement with Orange Coast League play approaching. Estancia (3-1), having matched the program’s longest winning streak since a 5-0 start in 1996, is heavily favored to make it four straight victories when it meets the Aztecs (0-3)