Anteaters trounce Trojans, 11-3

LOS ANGELES — UC Irvine sophomore pitcher Danny Bibona improved to 3-0 and junior outfielder Tony Asaro drove in four runs in the Anteaters’ 11-3 nonconference win over USC Tuesday night at Dedeaux Field.

Asaro was two for four with two doubles, while sophomore first baseman Jeff Cusick was two for five to pace an 11-hit attack for the visitors.

UCI (11-1), ranked No. 8 by Collegiate Baseball, which had a season-high scoring output, opened the scoring in the second with three runs.

The Anteaters, guided by first-year coach Mike Gillespie, who spent 20 seasons as USC’s coach and also played for the Trojans, added single runs in the third and fourth, before posting three runs each in the fifth and sixth innings.

USC, coached by Chad Kreuter, Gillespie’s son-in-law, managed seven hits, scoring twice in the third and once in the ninth.

The Trojans (9-5) committed five errors, which led to four unearned runs.

Bibona, a left-hander, allowed four hits and two earned runs in six innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Senior Chris Lopez worked a scoreless seventh, then sophomores Reid Suitor and Tom Calahan combined to work a scoreless eighth for the Anteaters.

UCI received hits from nine players, including junior Ben Orloff, freshman Ryan Fisher, junior Eric Deragisch and sophomore Sean Madigan, all of whom drove in one run apiece.

Nonconference

UC Irvine 11, USC 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bibona, Lopez (7), Suitor (8), Calahan (8), Slaught (9) and Lowenstein, Donabedian (8); Beck, McCaffery (3), Cabral (6), Hershiser (6), Urso (7), Encinas (9) and Stock, Sebatian (8). W – Bibona, 3-0. L – Beck, 0-1. 2B – Madigan (UCI), Lowenstein (UCI), Asaro (UCI) 2, De Pinto (USC). 3B – Lopez (USC). HR – Roskopf (USC).