Irvine eliminates rival in longest WS contest

The 13-inning game lasted almost six hours.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Longtime friends Dave Serrano and George Horton shared an embrace moments after UC Irvine had beaten Cal State Fullerton 5-4 in the longest game in College World Series history Monday.

The two coaches just as easily could have collapsed together in exhaustion after a tense elimination game between Serrano’s upstart Anteaters and his mentor’s tournament-tested Titans.

“I told him I loved him and thanks for everything,” Serrano said. “He said, ‘I’m proud of you. Continue to move on and win this thing.’ ”

Bryan Petersen’s run-scoring single to center field in the bottom of the 13th inning ended the 5 hour, 40 minute affair and sent the Titans home after two games for the first time in nine CWS appearances since 1990.

Anteaters survive

Meanwhile, the Anteaters (46-16-1) play on in their first trip to Omaha, meeting the loser of Monday night’s Arizona State-Oregon State game today. Fullerton (38-25) was knocked out after losing for the third time in four games with the Anteaters this season.

The Arizona State-Oregon State game wasn’t completed for today’s edition.

The 97th meeting of the neighborhood rivals came more than 1,500 miles away from their Orange County campuses, on the game’s biggest stage.

It was emotional on a number of fronts.

Serrano pitched for Horton at Cerritos College and later served under him there as pitching coach. Serrano later coached under Horton at Fullerton before taking the UC Irvine head coaching job in 2004.

Tension ran high, with a CWS record eight batters getting hit by pitches.

Despite committing a season-high six errors, UC Irvine came back three times to tie the Titans before overtaking them in a tense 13th inning that had Horton ejected for arguing a hit batsman call.

Out at home

Petersen’s winning hit came after Fullerton left fielder Josh Fellhauer had thrown out Taylor Holiday at home plate.

Holiday appeared to lean into a Bryan Harris pitch leading off the bottom of the 13th and was awarded first base by home-plate umpire David Buck. A steamed Horton argued and was tossed after Holiday was hit by a pitch for a third time in the game.

“It wasn’t about him not moving,” Horton said. “He stuck his arm out.”

Holiday tried to score from second on Matt Morris’ single. Fellhauer came charging in, picked up the ball and threw it on a line to catcher John Curtis, who blocked the plate and easily put the tag on Holiday.

Petersen followed with his hit to center, which scored Cody Cipriano from third. After Petersen touched first base, his teammates rushed out of the dugout and mobbed him in a dogpile.

Dylan Axelrod (6-4) pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief to get the win, allowing one hit and striking out seven.