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Big 8th lifts UC Urvine over Texas
CWS UC Irvine Texas B Heal
UC Irvine's Taylor Sparks (25) reaches first base on a throwing error by second baseman Brooks Marlow, unseen, as Texas first baseman Kacy Clemens (42) can't catch the ball, in the first inning of an NCAA baseball College World Series game in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted Kirk) - photo by Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — With the wind blowing in at 35 mph at cavernous TD Ameritrade Park, UC Irvine's Taylor Sparks hit the longest ball all day. It barely reached the warning track. But with Texas' outfield playing extremely shallow Saturday, his drive to left-center for his nation-leading ninth triple was more than enough to get the Anteaters' offense going in a 3-1 victory over Texas in the opening game of the College World Series.