UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Casey Murray Jr. delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 11th inning as Big West-leading Cal Poly edged UCSB 4-3 to begin this 3-game Blue-Green rivalry series.
Gauchos ace Tyler Bremner struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings of work but the Mustangs managed to scratch out 3 runs off of him despite his dominance.
"(It was a) good college baseball game," UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts said. Two good teams, and they're well coached, they've got a good team."
"I thought [Tyler Bremner] was competitive on the day, bullpen was competitive and we had some chances offensively, just couldn't get some swings going."
"They're in first place … they're pitching well during conference play, and so it's different pitching. You've got to figure out a way to score without hitting homers and we've got to keep working on that."
Bremner was lights-out early, striking out the first seven hitters he faced and going a perfect nine up, nine down his first time through the Cal Poly order. The Mustangs only put one ball in play against Bremner in the first three innings, a one-out pop-up in the third, which Bremner followed up with his eighth strikeout of the day.
By the time the Mustangs were coming up for their second time through the order, Bremner had a 1-0 lead to work with. In the bottom of the second, Jack Holman marked his return to the lineup with a lead-off single back up the middle. Rowan Kelly bunted Holman into scoring position, then Ian Fernandez brought him home with an RBI double down the left field line.
Unfortunately, Fernandez came up limping around first and had to leave the game. With the Gauchos' other catcher in the lineup, Nate Vargas, occupying the designated hitter role, Santa Barbara had to forfeit their DH to move Vargas behind the dish, meaning Gaucho pitchers would have to either hit or be pinch-hit for. The question of what to do with Bremner came up in the Gaucho half of the fourth, by which time it had become more complicated, as Cal Poly had taken a slim lead. A lead-off walk, fielder's choice, RBI double from Alejandro Garza, wild pitch and RBI sacrifice fly by Jack Collins put the Mustangs up, 2-1, in the top of the fourth.
However, Bremner had also picked up his ninth strikeout of the night in the top of the fourth and with five innings of baseball left to play, head coach Andrew Checketts kept his ace in, giving Bremner his first collegiate at-bat. He went down looking on three pitches. As if to add insult to injury, the Mustangs scratched across another run in the top of the fifth with a single and a two-out RBI triple by Jake Downing, despite Bremner striking out two more hitters in the frame.
But three runs were not going to be enough to chase Bremner from the game, especially after he struck out another Mustang to strand two runners on in a scoreless sixth. That bounce-back frame made it easier for the Gauchos to keep Bremner on the mound for the top of the seventh; with his spot in the order due up third in the bottom of the seventh, it was a preferable option to keep him out there rather than sending out a reliever who would then be pinch-hit for after just the one inning.
Bremner picked up his career-best 13th K of the day in the top of the seventh, then Reiss Calvin pinch hit for him in the bottom of the inning. Calvin walked and got into scoring position after a wild pitch, but was left stranded.
Donovann Jackson took over and pitched a perfect eighth on the mound, then the offense got the scores level in their half of the inning. LeTrey McCollum's single up the middle got the rally going, and Cole Kosciusko's single right after made it a real threat. With two outs, Vargas delivered the clutch swing, driving a ball nearly to the fence in right center, out of reach of the diving center fielder. The deep drive got Vargas all the way to third for his first career triple, scoring both McCollum and Kosciusko to tie the scores at 3-3.
After a lead-off single started the Cal Poly half of the ninth, Cole Tryba relieved Jackson and threw just one pitch, getting an out on a sacrifice bunt. With his assignment completed, it was over to Nathan Aceves, who saw that runner take third on a wild pitch, but then got a huge hand from his defense to escape the jam. On a squeeze bunt attempt, the batter missed the ball and the runner had come crashing home so fast that he was practically in Vargas' lap, slamming on the brakes and running back towards third. Vargas chased him before tossing to Xavier Esquer to finish the pickoff. A fly out ended the top of the ninth, and a different fly out ended the Gaucho half of the ninth after Santa Barbara put two on with a two-out error and single.
In extra innings, Raymond Olivas pitched a perfect tenth after Liam Barrett had pinch hit for Aceves in the ninth, but the Gauchos also went down in order in their half of the tenth. Olivas nearly got around a lead-off single in the 11th, but a two-out stolen base, then a hit on a full count by Murray Jr. gave Cal Poly the go-ahead run. The Gauchos could not mount a rally in their half of the 11th and fell, 4-3.
BY THE NUMBERSBremner's 13 strikeouts on Thursday are a career high and bring him within 20 of tying UC Santa Barbara's all-time career strikeout record of 274, currently held by Dan Yokubaitis. Bremner's was the first 13-strikeout haul of the season, with the last Gaucho arm to rack up a baker's dozen of K's being Ryan Gallagher against Cal State Bakersfield on May 10, 2024.Thursday's game was the third extra-inning game of the season for Santa Barbara, with all three coming at home. It was the first time that the Gauchos lost an extra-inning game since March 26, 2024 at UCLA. Since then, Santa Barbara had been 3-0 when playing free baseball.
UP NEXTThe Gauchos and Mustangs will be back at it for the second game of the 2025 Blue-Green Rivalry Series on Friday, April 18 from Caesar Uyesaka Stadium and on national television. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. as the showdown between Santa Barbara and Cal Poly will be broadcast on ESPNU. Calvin Proskey is set to take the ball for the Gauchos, opposed by Josh Volmerding for the Mustangs. The first fans in attendance at Saturday's game will receive a free throwback UC Santa Barbara Baseball hat.
(UCSB Athletics contributed to this article).
Cal Poly edges UCSB in 11 innings despite big game on the mound by Bremner News Channel 3-12.
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