Battery mates spark ‘Eaters

LONG BEACH — While the occupants of the Long Beach State dugout were wondering how he was doing it Sunday, UC Irvine sophomore starting pitcher Danny Bibona was wondering the same thing about battery mate Aaron Lowenstein.

Bibona, who allowed six hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings to record his fifth victory in six decisions this season, did so in 90-degree-plus temperatures in the 4-1 Big West Conference triumph in front of 1,655 at Blair Field.

But Bibona wasn’t finishing off 27 innings in 46-plus hours, the last 18 in sweltering daytime heat. And Bibona didn’t have 20 pounds of catching gear heaped on him, as did Lowenstein.

But Lowenstein, a fifth-year senior who is still limping from various “doses” absorbed by wayward baseballs smacking him on the leg(s), and who said he may have been knocked out when a Long Beach throw thumped him on the back of his helmet as he slid face first into third base on Friday night, appeared little worse for the wear.

The veteran leader also managed to stay hot with a bat in his hands to help the No. 7-ranked Anteaters (23-6, 5-4 in conference) take the series, two games to one, from their Black-and-Blue rivals.

Lowenstein, who entered the series hitting .175, went two for four with a season-high three runs batted in Sunday to help make things easier for Bibona. He also guided Bibona through a dangerous Long Beach lineup that included Big West home run leader Jason Corder, who pounced on a rare Bibona meatball for a second-inning homer, his ninth of the campaign.

“He knows me better than I know myself,” Bibona said of his catcher, who asked for fastballs first, then off-speed stuff from the typically more finesse-oriented left-hander. The plan worked out well, as Bibona stayed ahead of hitters, who kept heading back to the first-base dugout, perhaps mumbling to themselves.

“I’m sure people in that other dugout were saying ‘How’s that happening?’ ” UCI Coach Mike Gillespie said of Bibona’s mastery, which included five strikeouts and just one walk. “But those who have seen him, know that it does happen. He’s sort of ice water [in his veins] and all those other cliches, right? He was good again today.”

Lowenstein finished five for 11 in the series to raise his average to .224. He said it was great to contribute at the plate, and not just behind it.

“I’ve been working with [associate head coach Pat Shine] in the cages every day and the most important thing was just to not get down about it,” Lowenstein said of his hitting slump. “I just had to stick with the process and it’s starting to come around. If you keep working and working and working, the balls will fall.”

Long Beach, however, had only two hits through five off Bibona, who induced Corder to hit into an inning-ending double play with runners at first and third in the sixth.

“It was the same pitch [fastball] he hit for a home run, but we just threw it a little off the plate and he hooked it to [shortstop Ben Orloff] and the defense did the rest,” Bibona said of the important twin killing.

Bibona, a slight 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, threw just 62 pitches through six innings. But, after fanning the first two hitters in the seventh, he surrendered back-to-back singles to Travis Howell and Brandon Godfrey, the latter a one-hop liner that Orloff dived to his right to snare, and rose quickly to nearly throw out Godrey at first.

Pitching Coach Ted Silva then summoned Christian Bergman from the bullpen and Bibona’s day was done after 85 pitches, 60 of which were strikes.

Bergman got pinch-hitter TJ Mittelstaedt, who had tripled in each of the first two games, to ground to Orloff, who flipped to second baseman Ryan Fisher for a force out at second to end the threat.

After Bergman, a sophomore with a staff-low 0.89 earned-run average, worked a perfect eighth, sophomore closer Eric Pettis did the same in the ninth, fanning two to post his eighth save.

Sophomore right fielder Dillon Bell, who made a diving catch of a sinking liner to end the Long Beach fourth with two aboard, drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the second.

Later in the inning, Lowenstein singled in Casey Stevenson for a 2-0 lead.

UCI finalized the scoring in the sixth when a Jeff Cusick single and an error on Bell’s sacrifice bunt attempt put runners at first and second with no outs. After both advanced on Josh Tavelli’s sacrifice bunt, No. 20-ranked Long Beach (19-14, 2-4), which has lost 11 of its last 13, brought its infield in.

Lowenstein then lined a ball that ricocheted off the glove of first baseman Shane Peterson and trickled far enough onto the outfield grass for Bell to score from second.

Cusick, Orloff and sophomore left fielder Francis Larson joined Lowenstein with two hits Sunday.

UCI, which has now won conference series from the 49ers the last two seasons, visits San Diego Tuesday for a nonconference game scheduled for 3 p.m.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 4, Long Beach State 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bibona, Bergman (7), Pettis (9) and Lowenstein; Thompson, Vincent (6), Shaw (9) and Howell. W – Bibona, 5-1. L – Thompson, 1-4. 2B – Cusick (UCI). HR – Corder (LB).

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].