Anteaters win a Fox trot

IRVINE — Assigning a seldom-used freshman to start in left field for the biggest game of the season, might have led some to question the wisdom of veteran UC Irvine Coach Mike Gillespie.

But with 17 trips to the postseason in 22 seasons of Division I coaching, Gillespie proved to be crazy like a Fox.

Jordan Fox, who earned the starting nod by going three for four in the regular-season finale, rewarded his coach’s faith by launching a two-run double into the right-center-field gap to cap a four-run fourth inning that propelled the Anteaters (44-13) to a 4-2 victory in the opener of the NCAA Regional Friday in front of 3,002 at Anteater Ballpark.

UCI, which finished the regular season as the consensus No. 1-ranked team in the nation, sent the defending national champions (32-29) to the brink of elimination.

The ’Eaters, meanwhile will meet Virginia (43-13-1) in tonight’s winner’s bracket semifinal at 8. Should UCI win tonight, it would advance to Sunday’s 8 p.m. championship round in the double-elimination format.

Gillespie said Thursday that Fox, who had made just four starts previously in 21 appearances this season, has continually progressed this season. Additionally, Gillespie said coaches have discovered the 5-foot-9, 155-pounder out of Bishop Amat High takes much better swings in games than in practice.

“As the year goes on, [Fox] gets more gets more comfortable, more assertive,” Gillespie said Thursday. “The thing I cannot begin to explain is that it’s apparent that he takes better swings in games than he does in batting practice. In BP, he’s feeling for it, instead of turning it loose.”

Fox’s ninth hit of the season, his first collegiate double, helped some of the Anteaters’ rooters in the bulging crowd turn loose their fears of the program’s first regional loss since 2006.

UCI’s seventh straight triumph in regional play was also junior All-American left-hander Danny Bibona’s 12th in 13 decisions this season.

Bibona, who surrendered a booming home run to Dusty Robinson that opened the scoring for the Bulldogs, struck out a career-high 14 to continue his masterful season, which now has included wins in his last seven starts.

Bibona’s previous career high was 12 in 2008 against San Diego. His season high heading into Friday was 11 on March 20 against Nevada.

Bibona, who Fresno State Coach Mike Batesole said Thursday was the best left-hander in the country, retired the first 10 in order, before Robinson connected for his 15th dinger of his freshman campaign.

The Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year allowed five hits and two runs in 7 2/3 innings. He threw 118 pitches.

“He was outstanding,” Batesole said of Bibona. “He has three strikeout pitches … That’s why he is what he is.”

Fox continued his late-season surge bouncing a come-backer off the pitcher for an infield single to lead off the seventh. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dillon Bell but was stranded.

Some wildness by Fresno State starter Derek Benny, who blanked the hosts on one hit through three innings, contributed to UCI’s fourth-inning outburst.

Benny, who fell to 4-4, hit Eric Deragisch to open the rally.

Junior second baseman Casey Stevenson then poked an opposite-field double inside the left-field line and Benny plunked freshman designated hitter Ronnie Shaeffer to load the bases.

Junior first baseman Jeff Cusick walked to collect a run batted in and erase the 1-0 deficit.

One out later, junior catcher Francis Larson drove in Stevenson with a sacrifice fly to shallow center.

Fox, who started in Santa Barbara after fellow freshman and Bishop Amat product Tommy Reyes hurt his back, followed with the biggest hit of his career.

Stevenson was two for four with a pair of doubles and Fox finished two for three, including a rocket groundout to second base.

Junior closer Eric Pettis posted tied the school record he already shared with Blair Erickson by posting his 17th save of the season. He worked a scoreless ninth after Kyle Necke got the final out of the eighth.

NCAA Regional

UC Irvine 4, Fresno State 2

SCORE BY INNINGS

Benny, Poytress (7), Bischoff (7) and Garrison; Bibona, Necke (8), Pettis (9) and Larson. W – Bibona, 12-1. L – Benny, 4-4. Sv – Pettis (17). 2B – Stevenson (UCI) 2, Fox (UCI), Johnson (FSU) 2 . HR – Robinson (FSU).