SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (28-14, 13-11 Big West) put eight runs on the board but could not keep up with UC San Diego (22-10, 11-10 Big West) in another slugfest, falling by a 10-8 scoreline.
HOW IT HAPPENEDThe Gauchos got momentum early, first on the defensive end after working out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first. After a single, sacrifice bunt and two walks, a strikeout and a groundout back to pitcher Reed Moring got Santa Barbara out of the tough spot. The Gauchos were fired up and channeled their energy into their bats in the top of the second, with Jonathan Mendez leading off the inning by doubling over the center fielder's head. Rowan Kelly's single into shallow left put runners on the corners, then he stole second. Liam Barrett's RBI groundout plated the first run, then Corey Nunez punched a single through the right side to score a second and give Santa Barbara a 2-0 lead.
It was at this point that the game began to deviate from the Gauchos' preferred script. Back-to-back walks started the bottom of the second, but a two-out fly ball looked like it would end the frame. It did not. The ball bounced out of a Santa Barbara glove, and with both runners running on contact, UC San Diego tied the game on what was officially scored a single. The Tritons then put up five runs in the bottom of the third, with four walks, two singles and a double in the inning.
However, the Gauchos reminded their hosts that there was plenty of baseball left to play by getting four of those runs back immediately in the top of the fourth. After Kelly worked a leadoff walk, Jack Holman cracked a double down the right field line to make it 7-3, with Holman taking third as the Triton defense threw home on the play. Barrett's sacrifice fly to left then was enough to score Holman and make it 7-4. Santa Barabara loaded the bases with three straight walks, then Nate Vargas made it 7-5 on an RBI fielder's choice to shortstop, hustling down the line to break up a double play. The rally continued with Cole Kosciusko's RBI single into left, reducing the deficit to just one run.
The score stayed at 7-6 until a lead-off walk turned into another run for UC San Diego on a two-out single in the fifth, but the Gauchos got that run right back in the top of the sixth. It was Vargas again, his double to left field scoring Xavier Esquer.
A lead-off homer in the bottom of the sixth put the hosts back up by two, and that lead became three after two singles and a double, all with one out, in the eighth. Raymond Olivas put out a fire in that inning after an intentional walk loaded the bases with just one out; the freshman issued a three-pitch strikeout and got a groundout to first base to hold the Tritons to just one.
Olivas' work meant that the Gauchos were able to get the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, with back-to-back walks and a hit batter loading the bases with just one out. Isaac Kim's pinch-hit sacrifice fly got Santa Barbara a run closer, but they could not close the gap further.
BY THE NUMBERSEight of the nine Gaucho starting batters had a hit on Sunday, and the lone man without one, Barrett, was quite productive anyway, tallying a pair of RBIs. With Kim pinch-hitting for him in the ninth and recording a sacrifice fly, that spot in the lineup ended up with a team-high three RBIs on the day.The Gauchos and Tritons combined to issue 21 walks, two of which were intentional by the Gauchos, on Sunday. The last time Santa Barbara was in a game with 21 or more walks was March 3, 2024, when they combined with Oregon to issue 21 free passes.Kelly continued his phenomenal first Big West campaign with a hit, a walk and a stolen base on Sunday. The true freshman is now hitting .391 in conference games this season.McCollum continued both his on-base and hit streak with a hit and a walk on Sunday. He has now reached base safely in 38 straight games and has hit in each of his last 14. Both are the longest active such streaks on the team.
UP NEXTThe Gauchos conclude their four-game stint in San Diego on Monday, April 28, with a visit to the University of San Diego's Fowler Park, where they will take on the Toreros. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. and fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or by following along with live stats and an audio broadcast available through ucsbgauchos.com.
(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)
Gauchos drop series at UC San Diego News Channel 3-12.
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