Bibona handles Titans

FULLERTON — The beginning was the same as the end Friday night for UC Irvine starting pitcher Danny Bibona.

Bitter-sweet.

And Bibona’s ability to rise to the occasion somewhere in the middle sweetened things considerably for the No. 8-ranked Anteaters, who defeated No. 1-ranked Cal State Fullerton, 2-1, in front of 2,711 at Goodwin Field.

What was first ruled a triple to start the game, was changed to an out call for Titans leadoff hitter Gary Brown.

Bibona and Anteaters All-American closer Eric Pettis took it from there, riding a fourth-inning home run by Francis Larson and a two-out, two-strike RBI single by Eric Deragisch in the fifth, to the Big West Conference baseball win.

The triumph allowed UCI (18-7, 4-0 in conference) to claim sole possession of first place in the Big West, after Pacific fell to Santa Barbara Friday to drop to 3-1 in conference play.

Bibona, who threw eight shutout innings — a season-long outing that matched his career-long performance — also said he took pride in the result, because it took place in front of Fullerton Coach Dave Serrano, who recruited him to UCI and whom he still considers “a mentor/father.”

Bibona, who extended his scoreless-innings streak to 15 (after allowing two first-inning runs in the conference-opening win over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) also earned his first win in three career starts against the nation’s top-ranked team.

He absorbed his only loss this season against then-top-ranked Texas A&M; and lost previously in his career to Arizona State, which was ranked No. 1 at the time.

“I still talk to [Serrano, who left UCI after three seasons for Cal State Fullerton following the 2007 campaign] about twice a month,” said Bibona, who struck out five, walked one and gave up just four hits. “So to win in front of him was awesome.”

Bibona, 5-1 this season, has now allowed just three earned runs in his last 27 1/3 innings (an 0.98 earned-run average), over a span of four starts in which he has won three times and earned a no decision.

Pettis, who yielded a run on one hit in the ninth, earned his eighth save, leaving the potential tying run at second base.

Larson gave Bibona some breathing room by launching a 1-0 pitch from Fullerton starter Daniel Renken well over the left-center fence for his fourth dinger of the season.

Deragisch extended his hitting streak to 11 games by lining a low-outside fastball through the right side to double the Anteaters’ lead, driving in Casey Stevenson who began the inning with a double off the right-field wall.

But it was the Titans (19-5) who appeared poised to seize an early lead when Brown hit a sinking liner to right field. Deragisch charged and dived onto his chest, while hauling it in with his glove skidding onto the grass. But when he sprang to his feet, he looked behind him, as if did not have the ball, which was in his glove the whole time. The first base umpire, running into the outfield, called Brown, who by then had reached third base, safe.

After UCI Coach Mike Gillespie argued, however, the call was overturned after an umpire conference.

Bibona, who no-hit the Titans through four, dodged another bullet in the fifth, after Nick Ramirez singled and advanced to third on a double inside the third-base line by Khris Davis.

Bibona struck out Dustin Garneau looking on a 3-2 curveball. Then, Joe Scott popped up a suicide squeeze bunt in foul territory about halfway up the first-base line. UCI first baseman Jeff Cusick, playing on the grass to start with, closed in and made a diving catch in foul territory. Cusick got to his feet and threw to third for the double play to end the inning.

“It’s a good thing Cusick was a ballerina there,” Bibona said of the double play.

Gillespie also referred to the infamously plodding Cusick as “Nureyev,” for nixing the suicide squeeze attempt, a familiar Serrano ploy.

“We knew the squeeze was coming at some point with Scott up,” Bibona said.

Larson was two for four to pace the visitors’ five-hit attack, which handed Renken his second loss in six decisions. Larson extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Gillespie said the right call was made on the triple/out reversal.

“Thank goodness [the umpires] did what they’re supposed to do [confer to get the call right], because, in hindsight, we all see how big that play was,” Gillespie said.

The two teams resume the three-game series tonight at 6.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 2, Cal State Fullerton 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bibona, Pettis (9) and Larson; Renken, Mertins (9) and Garneau. W – Bibona, 5-1. L – Renken, 4-2. Sv. – Pettis (8) 2B – Stevenson (UCI); Davis (CSF). HR – Larson (UCI).

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.