FROM PRESS RELEASE
IRVINE, Calif. — UC Irvine’s shutout streak extended to 36 consecutive innings as the Anteaters blanked 11th-ranked San Diego, 4-0 Tuesday at Anteater Ballpark. Starting pitcher Daniel Bibona struck out a career-high 12 batters as UCI climbed to a program-best 8-0 overall while San Diego dropped to 5-5.
Bibona earned his second win (2-0) after shutting down the Toreros for six innings, walking one and scattering four hits in a stellar effort. The southpaw’s 12 strikeouts more than doubled his previous career high of five, which he recorded last season. Bibona yielded a pair of singles in the first but left USD stranded and went on to strike out seven of the next nine batters before giving up a single to Logan Gelbrich in the fourth. Bibona struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
Junior Matt Dufour struck out two and surrendered two hits in 1.1 innings and then handed the ball off to lefty Tom Calahan who induced a groundout to first. Sophomores Kyle Necke and Eric Pettis combined for the final shutout inning as UCI recorded its fourth straight shutout and fifth of the season. The pitching staff recorded 15 strikeouts, one shy of the stadium record of 16 set in 2006.
UC Irvine took the early lead in the second and added three more in the fifth as Ollie Linton drove in a pair of runs on a single to left. Ryan Fisher singled in Linton to cap the scoring. Fisher has now recorded an RBI in eight straight games for the Anteaters.
San Diego starter Sammy Solis went six innings, striking out six while giving up four runs to fall to 1-1.
UC-Irvine Recap
San Diego Recap
