April 3, 2009

Box Score

FULLERTON, Calif. --- Pitcher Daniel Bibona matched a career-high with eight innings and held top-ranked Cal State Fullerton scoreless to lead UC Irvine to a 2-1 win Friday at Goodwin Field. The decision lifted UCI to 18-7 overall and 4-0 in the Big West while CSF went to 19-6 overall (2-2 Big West).

Bibona did not give up a hit in the first four innings and went on to scatter four hits and strike out five to improve to 5-1 on the season. The southpaw walked just one in the effort and handed the ball off the All-American Eric Pettis who struck out one in the ninth while allowing an unearned run on two hits for his conference-leading eighth save.

Catcher Francis Larson broke the scoreless tie in the fourth, belting a 1-0 pitch from starter Daniel Renken over the left-centerfield fence for his fourth home run of the season.

Casey Stevenson doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on a single by Eric Deragisch, who extended his hitting streak to 11 games. That would be all for the Anteaters, who were held hitless in the final four innings.

Renken fell to 4-2 after after striking out three while allowing two runs on five hits in eight innings pitched.

The Titans threatened in the fifth as Nick Ramirez and Khris Davis singled and doubled, respectively, to put runners on second and third with no outs. After Bibona struck out Justin Garneau, first baseman Jeff Cusick made a diving catch in foul territory on a bunt attempt and doubled up Ramirez at third to end the inning.

CSF got on the board in the ninth, putting runners on second and third on a pair of singles and an error by Ben Orloff. Jared Clark's grounder to short pushed across a run but Pettis induced a groundout to first to preserve the win.